Things to do: Gosport to welcome Down Range Axe Throwing at site of former hardware store

Down Range Axe Throwing will open at 18 North Cross Street – formerly the site of a hardware shop - on Friday, November 17 with five lanes for competitors to hurl the missiles at targets.

The business was launched earlier this year by former servicemen Colin Smith and Ben Davies, who both served in the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment.

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Gosport local Ben said he is excited to welcome customers following “a hectic couple of months” preparing the site for action. Local business owners and friends of the Down Range team will be invited to test out the range in the days prior to the grand opening.

Down Range will cater to parties and other events like hen and stag dos with exclusive hire available. Another service “for a small fee” will give customers the chance to attach pictures of people – such as bosses and fomrer spouses – to the targets and “hit them where it hurts.”

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Ben also owns the Team Crunk HQ tattoo studio a few doors down from the new site while Colin works as a plasterer. The pair hope that the exciting new addition, which is a short walk from the high street, will benefit Gosport as a whole by attracting more footfall into the town centre.

Ben added that the sport is hugely popular in the USA, and it was Colin’s idea to capitalise on its burgeoning popularity in the UK. The next nearest axe-throwing facility is in Southampton.

You can find all the details including prices on the Down Range website.