Wyke Regis Training Area Wyke Regis Training Area is an army training area located in the village of Wyke Regis , near Weymouth , Dorset , England . The training area is part of the Defence Training Estate South West and is located at three different sites . It is part of the Ministry of Defence ' s Defence Training Estate ( DTE ) , which covers 240 , 000 hectares of land across the country for the purpose of training armed forces . Although mainly used by the army , the training area has allowed an increasing amount of public use of both the climbing facilities and adventure training over the last few years . The South West Coast Path , a national trail , runs alongside the northern boundary of the Wyke Regis Bridging Camp and the southern boundary of the Chickerell Range . The use of red flags allow walkers to be diverted inland around the back of the Range firing point during exercises . This is achieved by the use of signs and restriction gates , before walkers are returned to the Coastal Path . Sites . Consisting of the three sites , the main location is found to the west of the Wyke Regis village , where it lies on the north side of the Fleet tidal lagoon with Chesil Beach on the south side . This site , a bridging camp , was constructed in 1928 by Royal Engineers . Since then the site has been in continuous use for the training of Royal Engineers , amongst other armed forces , including both regular and reserve forces in the construction of both bridges and ferries , along with other types of military training . The Bridging Camp ' s inner training area allows Sappers to hone their skills on everything from raft building to familiarising themselves with state of the art weaponry . Some have returned from Afghanistan or were preparing for deployment to the country in September 2011 . Due to the close proximity of the lagoon , water based training is held there . A second site , a camp and rifle range , is located within the town and parish Chickerell which is located further up the Fleet Lagoon , and like the main bridging camp , it sites alongside the lagoon and beach . The site features an 8 - lane small - arms rifle range , and is used for basic fieldcraft and patrolling exercises , along with markmanship training . It also offers unique facilities for cadets . The range is typically used for 150 days per year and once held active sentries that were posted during live use to police the footpaths and offshore . The third site of the Wyke Regis Training Area is located at Verne Yeates on the Isle of Portland , close to the Verne Citadel , and is used for bridging and signals training . History . The bridging camp was established at the Fleet narrows of Chesil Beach on 1 May 1928 , losses of equipment through storms at annual bridging camps up to 1927 at Mudeford , near Christchurch . In the following years the camp was erected by the first unit in and struck by the last unit out . In 1938 the site was used by the Militia , and it continued as a training area during the Second World War , which included a period of use by the RAF as a base for some of their ' Dambusters ' trials for the Bouncing bomb . During 1945 - 49 , the 9 Trg Bn Royal Engineers , who were based at the Verne Citadel on Portland , used the camp for some time before moving to the nearby Barrow Rise Camp as their headquarters after POWs redeveloped the Wyke Regis site . Territorial Army units used the site during 1947 and then each summer from 1950 onwards . After the first permanent Camp Commandant took over in 1954 , Southern Command Bridging Camp Royal Engineers was one of four such units in the UK . In October 1956 the 37 Armoured Engineer Squadron used the site as part of their continued training , partaking in atomic simulation , HGB builds and a 288 ft class 30 EWBPS build , bridge demolitions and work on the Kings Ferry . One month later and the squadron deployed to Malta and then took part in the Suez operations in 1956 . The camp was upgraded from 1960 to 1963 , and as a result facilities were much improved with more permanent buildings . By the mid - 1960s the camp saw more use of amphibious vehicles , and less of floating bridges . Shortly after the Royal Engineers Bridging Camp of Wyke Regis was the only one left in the UK . In 1973 the Chickerell Camp and Range were taken over , and this providing extra hutted accommodation for use in both summer and winter . As a celebration of the broadening of the training facilities to include other Combat Engineer subjects besides bridging , the unit were renamed The Royal Engineers Training Camp on the camp ' s 50th anniversary in 1978 . In 1983 , to mark the 55 - year association , the Freedom of the Borough of Weymouth and Portland was granted to the Corps of Royal Engineers . The event was marked with a parade and , ten years later , in September 1993 , 22 Engineer Regiment again exercised their right to march through the town with ' bayonets fixed and drums beating ' to celebrate this singular honour . In 1999 Wyke Regis Training Area came under command of Army Training Estates as part of ATE SW , before command transferred to Defence in April 2006 . In January 2011 , the bridging camp was the attention of national news when a solider died after suffering massive head injuries during a routine training exercise . The incident occurred whilst the 30 - year - old from the 53rd Field Squadron Royal Engineers was helping fellow soldiers take down a support bridge . In August 2011 , the bridging camp was opened to the public for one day as visitors were given a tour , and various presentations and demonstrations .