Thimbleby Shooting Ground has begun a major investment programme aimed at expanding its retail, hospitality, training and staff facilities.
Work started on 10 August and represents the latest phase of development at the North Yorkshire site, following its expansion in 2021. The project follows what the business describes as sustained growth in membership and competitive shooting events over the past five years.
Plans include a substantially enlarged gunroom, an expanded kitchen and refreshed food offering, as well as the creation of the purpose-built Thimbleby Shooting Academy (TSA).
The new academy will provide dedicated space for coaching and tuition, while also being available for corporate hospitality and private group bookings. Thimbleby said the facility is intended to support the continued development of its training offer.
The kitchen expansion will enable the team to increase its range of homemade dishes, including produce sourced from the Thimbleby Estate. The shooting ground also plans to introduce an all-day breakfast offering.
Investment is also being made in renovated office accommodation, including meeting rooms and improved staff welfare facilities.
Shooting lessons, competitions, retail services and clay shooting experiences will continue during the development work. However, visitors may see temporary changes to the gunroom layout, café menu and external areas while the project is completed.
Luke Butler, commercial director at Thimbleby Estate, said: “This investment represents an exciting new chapter for Thimbleby Shooting Ground. Over the past few years we’ve seen incredible growth in both our membership and the number of visitors choosing to shoot with us, so it’s important that our facilities continue to evolve alongside that demand.
“The improvements we’re making aren’t just about expanding our buildings, they’re about enhancing every aspect of the customer experience, from the Gunroom and café through to coaching, corporate hospitality and the service our team delivers every day.”