From The Cambrian, September 30th 1860:

“A pigeon shooting match for £20 aside, came off at Nott’s Gardens, Cwmdonkin, on Tuesday evening last.
Best of 9: George Vaughan (butcher) scored 7 vs the “Unknown” scored 6.

On 10th Oct 1862 the Cambrian ran a full report on the “Distressing and Fatal Accident” at the Cwmdonkin Rifle Range - “Boy Shot by a Volunteer”. A boy - Rees Griffiths - was shot by accident whilst collecting lead from the spent bullets in front of the targets. An inquest was held and proved that “the occurrence was a pure accident, the firing party not having the most remote idea that the deceased, or any other boy, were in or near the butts, with the exception of the recognized marker”.

The paper ran a detailed report of the inquest (held at the Red Cow, Waun Wen), including gory details of the incident - “the bullet entering the head just behind the left ear and coming out at the right eye - making a clean wound right through the skull”. The fatal bullet was fired by George Nott Jnr. - he attended the inquest along with his father, “the proprietor of the ground” - but the judge directed at the end that ” no blame is to be imputed to the person (George Nott Jnr.) who fired the shot.

The accident occurred when 2 boys - Rees Griffiths and William Jones, aged around 15 - went to collect lead from around the targets during a Saturday afternoon’s target practice. The only boy who should have been in the area was the official marker Thomas Mabbott (aged 10) but he was unable to prevent the bigger boys from their foraging. The accident occurred when Thomas Mabbott raised the white flag in order to stop the shooting to re-paint the targets. Before he was able to raise the red flag to indicate there was someone in the target area, Rees ran out and was shot. A doctor was called but Rees had died fairly quickly.

From The Cambrian, January 22nd 1869:

4th Glamorgan Rifle Volunteers: Rifle competition.
“The members of this battalion met at the Shooting Range (Nott’s gardens)”
“At the close of the proceedings the competitors adjourned to Nott’s hotel”

From The Cambrian, June 9th:

Swansea All-Comers: Snider Enfield Rifle Match at Cwmdonkin Rifle Range by permission of Lieut-Col. H.H. Vivian MP.

The following week there is a report in The Cambrian, June 16th:
Report on Swansea All-Comers: “Cwmdonkin Rifle Range, the use of which had kindly been lent by Lieut-Col. H.H. Vivian MP”
“The day was beautifully fine, and the visitors were loud in their praises of the splendid scenery in the midst of which the Cwmdonkin range is situated”

The Cambrian reports that the 4th Glamorgan Rifle Volunteers Battalion had a rifle match the previous Thursday. There was some dissatisfaction with a new system of handicaps for the best shots. Miss Nott awarded a cockerall for the best shot.