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Summary

A small building, visible as a structure on aerial photographs from 1944, is likely to be the Second World War pillbox recorded in 1999, and partial remains are likely to survive.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1417500
• Torbay HER: MTO56251
• Torbay HER: MTO56251

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PILLBOX (Demolished (partial), World War II - 1940 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

United States Airforce, 1944, US/7PH/GP/LOC147, RAF/US/7PH/GP/LOC147 F24 5016 20-JAN-1944 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351618.

A small roughly square building is visible.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/3G/TUD/UK/223, RAF/3G/TUD/UK223 5098-5099 12-JUL-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352279.

A small roughly square building is visible.

Jury, R., 1997, Preston Sands Defences (Worksheet). SDV362149.

At the south end of Preston Sands there is a complex of buildings including a hotel, appartment block and a beach cafe. On the seaward side of the cafe there are the remains of a base and a firing slit of a pillbox.

Fiorato, V.J., 1999, Pillbox at Preston Sands, T43, 44 (Ground Photograph). SDV362151.

Photos of pillbox.

Fiorato, V.J., 1999, Preston Sands Pillbox (Worksheet). SDV362150.

Site visit: 29th September 1999. South-east corner of a pillbox. The concrete walls were faced with brick both internally and externally. Also surviving was the concrete floor slab for the pillbox. In plan the longer face runs parallel to the beach. There is one surviving blocked loop-hole in the south elevation. It has an internal splay circa 60 cm wide and an opening of circa 40 cm wide. The concrete blocking prevented determination of whether an external splay had been present. The surviving walls are approximately 60 cm wide.

Channel Coast Observatory, 2001-2012, Channel Coast Observatory Aerial Photography, Channel Coastal Observatory SX8961_20120918ortho.ecw 18-SEP-2012 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351226.

The base and two walls of the building are visible as structures.

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

A small building, approximately 3.5 by 4.5 metres, is visible as a structure on aerial photographs from 1944. It is likely to be the Second World War pillbox recorded in 1999 as brick faced with a blocked loophole in the southern wall. On the most recent available photographs taken in 2012 the base of the pillbox appears to be visible, and the south and east walls may also be partially extant.

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
SDV351226	Aerial Photograph: Channel Coast Observatory. 2001-2012. Channel Coast Observatory Aerial Photography. Channel Coast Observatory. Digital. Channel Coastal Observatory SX8961_20120918ortho.ecw 18-SEP-2012.
SDV351618	Aerial Photograph: United States Airforce. 1944. US/7PH/GP/LOC147. United States Airforce. Photograph (Paper). RAF/US/7PH/GP/LOC147 F24 5016 20-JAN-1944. [Mapped feature: #64711 ]
SDV352279	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/3G/TUD/UK/223. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/3G/TUD/UK223 5098-5099 12-JUL-1946.
SDV362149	Worksheet: Jury, R.. 1997. Preston Sands Defences. Defence of Britain Project. Worksheet + Digital.
SDV362150	Worksheet: Fiorato, V.J.. 1999. Preston Sands Pillbox. Torbay Sites and Monuments Form. Worksheet.
SDV362151	Ground Photograph: Fiorato, V.J.. 1999. Pillbox at Preston Sands. Slide. T43, 44.

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)
• EDV7779 - World War II sites in Torbay
• EDV7759 - Defence of Britain site visits by R. Jury to World War II Monuments

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