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Summary

A small L-shaped WW2 pillbox built into the south east angle of Upper Benham battery.

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 15434: POST-MEDIEVAL BREASTWORK, CURTAIN WALL AND ASSOCIATED DEFENSIVE STRUCTURES ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE GARRISON, ST MARY'S

Other References/Statuses

• Defence of Britain Project (1995-2003): 12502
• National Monuments Record: SV 91 SW 302
• National Record of the Historic Environment to Historic Environment Records data transfer
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1426661
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 7909.05

Monument Type(s):

• PILLBOX (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

A small WW2 pillbox built into the south east angle of the largely Elizabethan battery called Upper Benham (7906.13). It is recorded as St Mary's pillbox no 2 on the 1946 map (b1). Visited by Waters in 1988 who noted a "block house" of concrete blocks (h1) and by Johnson in 1990 who recorded it as L-shaped, designed for machine guns, with one slit facing north east and another facing south east (h2). The monument is included in the Schedule. This site is also recorded as AH 549 for the Defence of Britain project (2, 3, 4).

Described in 1995: The L-shaped structure of concrete block construction is sunk into the battery and projects only 0.5m above the parapet. The stairwell at the rear of the pillbox is 2.3m deep. Remains of an earthen rampart (0.7m high and 1.7 m wide) survive against the inner angle of the structure and the SE facing wall. The flat roof which has an 0.25m thick earthen cap, measures 5.05m by 5.2m (5).

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Site history:
1: 1988. WATERS, A/CAU
2: 1990. JOHNSON, N/CAU
3: 1999. HARVEY, A/DOB
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<1> OSBORNE, JP, 1990, SCILLONIAN WAR DIARY, 1939-1945, VOL 3, PILL BOX MAP (Unedited Source). SCO8939.

<2> ALWYN HARVEY, 1997 - 2001, DEFENCE OF BRITAIN PROJECT, AH549 (Cornwall Archive). SCO9017.

<3> Council for British Archaeology, 1995-2001, Defence of Britain Archive, 12502 (Website). SCO9052.

<4> Council for British Archaeology, 1995-2001, Defence of Britain Paper Archive (Collection). SCO29989.

<5> Field Investigator's Comments, MPPA/Hooley, D. 1995. (Survey). SCO29739.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• ECO3128 - Garrison Walls, Isles of Scilly, conservation plan
• ECO6310 - Defence of Britain Project

Related records

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