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Summary

A complex of temporary and prefabricated buildings of probable Second World War date and military function can be seen as structures on the former site of tennis courts, now the site of Runnymede Gardens, Ilfracombe, on aerial photographs of 1946. The function of the structures is uncertain but they might have been US Army mess hall structures. They are not visible on any later images available to the survey and were probably removed in the years immediately after the war ended.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MILITARY BASE? (World War II to XX - 1939 AD to 1946 AD)

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1930 - 1939, Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV336668.

The location of the military structures is depicted as tennis courts.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1501, NMR RAF/106G/UK/1501 4409-10 13-MAY-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349927.

Eight or nine temporary military structures are visible at Runnymede Gardens.

British Broadcasting Corporation, 2006, WW2 People's War, Jenny Lakeman, WW2 People's War. 2005. Accessed 28-JAN-2013 (Website). SDV350519.

The Jubilee Gardens (Runnymede Gardens) were tennis courts before the war and the American forces stationed in Ilfracombe commandeered them and put up some large Nissen huts for mess halls.
Http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/69/a4060469.shtml

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S., 2011 - 2012, North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV349018.

A complex of temporary and prefabricated buildings of probable Second World War date and military function can be seen as structures on the former site of tennis courts, now the site of Runnymede Gardens, Ilfracombe, on aerial photographs of 1946. Eight or nine rectangular structures can be seen, ranging in size from roughly 7 by 4 metres to 30 by 6 metres. The larger structures appear to be hemispherical in profile and their span dimensions approximate those for Nissen Huts. One structure appears to be formed from two conjoined Nissen Hut type structures in a T-shaped formation. The two smallest structures appear to be of different construction. The function of the complex or camp is uncertain, but local history evidence indicates they might have been US Army mess hall structures.
The structures are not visible on any later images available to the survey and were probably removed in the years immediately after the war ended.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV336668	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1930 - 1939. Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Fourth Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV349018	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S.. 2011 - 2012. North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. ACD383/2/1. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV349927	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/106G/UK/1501. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR RAF/106G/UK/1501 4409-10 13-MAY-1946. [Mapped feature: #62618 ]
SDV350519	Website: British Broadcasting Corporation. 2006. WW2 People's War. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/. Website. Jenny Lakeman, WW2 People's War. 2005. Accessed 28-JAN-2013.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6132 - North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty NMP Project

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