HeritageGateway - Home
Site Map
Text size: A A A
You are here: Home > > > > Devon & Dartmoor HER Result
Devon & Dartmoor HERPrintable version | About Devon & Dartmoor HER | Visit Devon & Dartmoor HER online...

See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.


HER Number:MDV48846
Name:Exeter Airfield Dispersed Site 2

Summary

A Second World War military site (Dispersed Site 2) associated with RAF Exeter is visible as a range of structures on aerial photographs of 1944 onwards.

Location

Grid Reference:SY 013 933
Map Sheet:SY09SW
Admin AreaDevon
Civil ParishClyst Honiton
Civil ParishRockbeare
DistrictEast Devon
Ecclesiastical ParishCLYST HONITON
Ecclesiastical ParishROCKBEARE

Protected Status

  • SHINE: Military structures; earthworks and archaeological remains of World War II, RAF Exeter and post medieval catchmeadows and orchard banks on footprint of modern Exeter Airport and to the east

Other References/Statuses

  • Old DCC SMR Ref: SY09SW/77
  • SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

  • DISPERSED SITE (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

APH, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV102761.

Group of military buildings visible on raf 1947 ap (aph).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV102762.

Aph=raf/cpe/uk/1974/2461/(11/4/1947).

United States Airforce, 1944, US/7PH/GP/LOC252, US/7PH/GP/LOC252 RS 4020 20-MAR-1944 (Aerial Photograph). SDV358580.

The site is visible as a range of structures.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1412, RAF/106G/UK/1412 RS 4434-35 13-APR-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352504.

The site is visible as a range of structures. Map object based on this source.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2462-63 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

The site is visible as a range of structures. Map object based on this source.

Ordnance Survey, 1966, OS/66185 V, OS/66185 V 381-382 22-JUL-1966 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357577.

The site remains largely unchanged.

Francis, P., 1999, Exeter Airport. Historic Airport Survey for Devon County Council & East Devon District Council, 109 (Report - non-specific). SDV323390.

Dispersed Site 2. Access was denied at time of survey. Other details: Map 11.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2014-2015, East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV356883.

A Second World War military site (Dispersed Site 2) associated with RAF Exeter is visible as a range of structures on aerial photographs of 1944 onwards. The former site occupies an area of approximately 2.14 hectares of gentle northwest facing slope across two adjacent agricultural fields on the northern side of an un-numbered road. The site, which lies approximately 500m east of the main airfield site, is characterised by a number of nissen huts and pitched-roof structures, as well structures of possible sewage or water treatment works, all interconnected by a series of trackways. There are also a number of other such dispersed sites set within the immediate vicinity, for example, Dispersed Sites 3 and 4 to the east and Site 7 to the southwest. The site is bypassed by a broadly north to south aligned trackway, approximately 1km in length, with links up this site with Dispersed Site 7 to the southwest and the airfield runway to the northwest. A northeast to southwest aligned infilled service trench is also visible as a soil mark on aerial photographs of 1944 and 1946, connecting up this site with Dispersed Site 5 to the northeast. The site remains largely unchanged on aerial photographs of 1966, although the 2015 Ordnance Survey MasterMap show that many of the structures have been demolished, although the main H-Shaped building to the south of the site is extant, in addition to several other smaller structures.

Ordnance Survey, 2015, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV357601.

A number of structures to the south of the site are extant.

Davies, R., 2016, FABlink, Exeter, (Report - Survey). SDV359629.

A detailed gradiometry survey was carried out over approximately 7.5 hectares of arable land. No features of archaeological origin have been identified, however a number of remains related to WWII military sites have been detected. The identification of services and possible building remain corresponds with information from Devon & Dartmoor HER. Evidence of ploughing, former ponds and possible former field boundaries indicate that the site has a more recent agricultural past. Other modern features identified include magnetic disturbance from nearby ferrous objects and magnetic spikes.

The survey at Exeter has not identified any features of archaeological origin, however a number of anomalies likely related to former WWII military sites have been detected, corroborating with information from Devon& Dartmoor HER. The remains are related to services and the possible remains of former buildings. Possible former field boundaries, former ponds and evidence of modern ploughing indicate that the site has a more recent agricultural past. The remaining features are modern and include magnetic disturbance from nearby ferrous objects and magnetic spikes, which are likely to be modern rubbish.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV102761Migrated Record: APH.
SDV102762Aerial Photograph:
SDV323390Report - non-specific: Francis, P.. 1999. Exeter Airport. Historic Airport Survey for Devon County Council & East Devon District Council. Airfield Research Publishing Report. Digital + A4. 109.
SDV352504Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/106G/UK/1412. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/106G/UK/1412 RS 4434-35 13-APR-1946.
SDV356127Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2462-63 11-APR-1947.
SDV356883Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2014-2015. East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
Linked documents:1
SDV357577Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1966. OS/66185 V. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/66185 V 381-382 22-JUL-1966.
SDV357601Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2015. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital.
SDV358580Aerial Photograph: United States Airforce. 1944. US/7PH/GP/LOC252. United States Airforce. Photograph (Paper). US/7PH/GP/LOC252 RS 4020 20-MAR-1944.
SDV359629Report - Survey: Davies, R.. 2016. FABlink, Exeter,. Stratascan. J9818. Digital.

Associated Monuments

MDV78394Parent of: Airmen's Institute, Exeter Airfield Dispersed Site 2 (Monument)
MDV78639Parent of: Latrines and Ablutions, Exeter Airfield Site 2 (Monument)
MDV78391Parent of: Mess Building, Exeter Airfield Dispersed Site 2 (Monument)
MDV78637Parent of: Officers' Mess, Exeter Airfield Dispersed Site (Monument)
MDV78636Parent of: Picket Post, Exeter Airfield Dispersed Site (Monument)
MDV78392Parent of: Ration Store, Exeter Airfield Dispersed Site 2 (Monument)
MDV78395Parent of: Ration Store, Exeter Airfield Dispersed Site 2 (Monument)
MDV78396Parent of: Romney Huts, Exeter Airfield Dispersed Site 2 (Monument)
MDV48842Related to: Exeter Airfield (Military) (Monument)

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

  • EDV4774 - Historic Airport Survey, Exeter Airport
  • EDV6530 - The East and Mid-Devon Rivers Catchment NMP project (Ref: ACD613)
  • EDV6981 - Geophysical Survey, FABlink, Exeter, (Ref: J9818)

Date Last Edited:Jul 3 2023 2:57PM