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Summary

Short earthwork banks of probable Second World War date are visible near the coastal cliffs at East Down, Dawlish, on aerial photographs of the 1940s. The earthworks resemble rifle range firing positions but their arrangement does not appear to support this role and the function of the site is unknown.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BANK (EARTHWORK) (World War II to XX - 1939 AD to 1947 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1941, RAF/S411, RAF/S411 17-18 17-AUG-1941 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352281.

Three or four earthwork banks are visible near the coastal cliffs at East Down.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF 230/CAL/UK/5, RAF/230/CAL/UK/5 267 15-AUG-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351455.

Three earthwork banks are visible near the coastal cliffs at East Down.

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

Short earthwork banks of probable Second World War date are visible near the coastal cliffs at East Down, Dawlish, on aerial photographs of the 1940s. In 1941 three or possibly four linear earthwork banks 10 to 15 metres in length are visible distributed over a distance of up to approximately 130 metres. In this configuration the earthworks resemble rifle range firing positions. The bank closest to the cliffs appears newly made, created probably from spoil from an open trench. By 1947 only three banks are clearly visible, aligned roughly north to south and arranged in a roughly triangular configuration closer to the cliffs, centred around circa SX95957502. In this arrangement they could not be used as rifle range firing positions and the function of the site is therefore unknown. The banks are not currently visible as earthworks.

Sources / Further Reading

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
SDV351455	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF 230/CAL/UK/5. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/230/CAL/UK/5 267 15-AUG-1947. [Mapped feature: #64648 ]
SDV352281	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1941. RAF/S411. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/S411 17-18 17-AUG-1941.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6127 - Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme (NMP) for South-West England - South Coast Devon (Ref: ACD618)

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