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Summary

A partially buried rectangular concrete pillbox of a type built to house a heavy machine gun. One of two emplacements overlooking Hedge Corner, a tight bend on the River Axe. Visible as a structure on aerial photographs from 2001 to 2010. It appears to suvive relatively extant. Part of the Second World War Taunton Stop Line constructed in 1940.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Pill boxes, anti-tank ditches and obstacles, World War II at the Boshill Cross Stong Point of the Taunton Stop Line, a defensive crossing on the River Axe

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1417504
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY29SE/239
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PILLBOX (Built, World War II - 1940 AD to 1940 AD)

Full description

Royal Engineers, 1940, Plans of Taunton Stop Line, LXXXIII NE (Cartographic). SDV325259.

Pillbox marked on Royal Engineer's plan as S.V.14.

Wills, H., 1985, Pillboxes. A Study of UK Defences 1940, 74 (Monograph). SDV336210.

Wills lists two rectangular concrete pillboxes facing west at SY260922.

Horner, W., 1994, East Devon Pillboxes (Personal Comment). SDV356839.

Site visit 16th March 1994. A rectangular concrete pillbox of a type to house a Vickers heavy machine gun lies largely buried close to another. A blast wall covers the doorway in the south wall. The machine gun loop is blocked with a corrugated iron sheet. The pillbox faces northwest covering a bend in the River Axe and Axe Bridge.

Cochrane, J. N., 1996, Two Pillboxes West of B3172 (Worksheet). SDV356830.

Pillbox adjacent to B3172 road. Rectangular Heavy machine gun type with large aperture, half recessed into ground, entrance blocked. Adjacent to A5. Photo.

Dobinson, C. S., 1998, The Taunton Stop Line. Component Listing, 7 (Report - non-specific). SDV109230.

Vickers machine gun pillbox of type FW3/27.

Next Perspectives, 2001, Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref:, Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SY2692 15-AUG-2001 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349376.

The west part of a small structure is visible.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, Site No. 1168 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Pillbox visible on 1947 Aerial Photograph. May represent one of two pillboxes recorded on ground at SY 260 922. Part of Taunton Stop Line.
SMR.

THE DEVONSHIRE ASSOCIATION, 2008, WWII Pill Boxes in the Axe Valley, 3 (Report - Survey). SDV347565.

Vickers machine gund emplacement, SV14. The emplacement is buried to a depth of four feet.

GetMapping, 2010, GetMapping 2010 aerial photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV351585.

The west part of a small structure is visible.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2013-2014, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV351146.

This pillbox, part of the Taunton Stop Line, is visible as a small flat roofed structure on aerial photographs taken between 2001 and 2010. Two sides are visible on the west of the hedgebank into which it appears to be built, with maximum visible dimensions of 4 by 4 metres. It is not visible on earlier available aerial photographs, in keeping with ground observations that the structure was buried. Although the structure is now exposed, as far as can be ascertained from the aerial photographs it appears to be relatively extant. The pillbox is depicted on the base map so has not been transcribed.

Pink, F., 2014-2015, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey Desk-Based Assessment (Interpretation). SDV357736.

Ordnance Survey, 2019, MasterMap 2019 (Cartographic). SDV362729.

Square structure shown.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV109230	Report - non-specific: Dobinson, C. S.. 1998. The Taunton Stop Line. Component Listing. Twentieth Century Fortifications in England. AI/S/3. Photocopy. 7.
SDV325259	Cartographic: Royal Engineers. 1940. Plans of Taunton Stop Line. Royal Engineers Survey Plan circa July 1940. Unknown. LXXXIII NE.
SDV336210	Monograph: Wills, H.. 1985. Pillboxes. A Study of UK Defences 1940. Pillboxes. Hardback Volume. 74.
SDV347565	Report - Survey: THE DEVONSHIRE ASSOCIATION. 2008. WWII Pill Boxes in the Axe Valley. Devonshire Association. Digital + A4. 3.
SDV349376	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2001. Next Perspectives PGA Tile Ref:. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SY2692 15-AUG-2001.
SDV351146	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2013-2014. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV351568	Archive - Survey: Exeter Archaeology. 2003-2004. East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey. East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey. Digital + Mixed Archive Material. Site No. 1168.
SDV351585	Aerial Photograph: GetMapping. 2010. GetMapping 2010 aerial photographs. Getmapping. Photograph (Digital).
SDV356830	Worksheet: Cochrane, J. N.. 1996. Two Pillboxes West of B3172. Defence of Britain Project. Worksheet + Digital.
SDV356839	Personal Comment: Horner, W.. 1994. East Devon Pillboxes.
SDV357736	Interpretation: Pink, F.. 2014-2015. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey Desk-Based Assessment. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV362729	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2019. MasterMap 2019. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital. [Mapped feature: #94468 ]

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV5167 - Survey of Pillboxes in the Axe Valley
• EDV6127 - Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme (NMP) for South-West England - South Coast Devon (Ref: ACD618)

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