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Summary

The site of a Second World War Searchlight is recorded at Witchcombe. Two rectangular structures and a square earthwork platform visible on the north-west facing combe slopes south-west of Marridge Cross on aerial photographs of 1946 are probably the remains of the searchlight emplacement. The structures appear to survive in-situ.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SEARCHLIGHT EMPLACEMENT (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 FS 2196-2197 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

An earthwork platform and two structures are visible.

Dobinson, C. S., 2000, Searchlight sites in WWII, 36 (Report - non-specific). SDV323811.

Site of WWII Searchlight at Witchcombe. Manned by 382 SL Bty.

Google, 2019, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 22-JUN-2018 ACCESSED 19-JUN-2020 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363088.

The rectangular structures remain visible.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2020, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

Two rectangular structures circa 14m long and 5m wide are visible on aerial photographs of 1946 alongside the hedge line approximately 275m south-west of Marridge Cross. The appear to comprise a Nissen Hut and a pitched roof structure.
An earthwork platform circa 9m square is visible cut into the combe slope circa 55m south-west of the Nissen Hut.
The structures and earthworks are interpreted as the remains of a Second World War temporary emplacement, probably the searchlight emplacement identified by Dobinson as located at NGR SX 696 542.
The earthwork platform has probably been levelled by the construction of Higher Witchcombe, but the structures remain identifiable on digital images derived from aerial photographs of 2018, are depicted on the current MasterMap base layer and are identifiable as a Nissen Hut and prefabricated hut on Google Streetview.

Google, 2020, Google Streetview (Website). SDV363415.

The rectangular structures are identifiable as a Nissen Hut and prefabricated hut in poor repair.

Ordnance Survey, 2020, MasterMap 2020 (Cartographic). SDV363413.

The rectangular structures remain depicted.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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