See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

A line of redundant target butts and bunkers runs roughly west to east across the southern slope of White Hill and the south-western flank of Nattor Down. Nine butts are present, with one exception at the western end of the line, they consist of a turf-covered stoney bank around 10m long, 2.2m wide and up to 1.5m high. Mounted on the crest of each bank are the remains of a swivel target rail. The western butt at SX 53178281 (described in the 1985 aerial photograph project as a 'building') comprises a turf-covered bank 22m long with what appears to be the remains of a small bunker at its northern end. It too may have possessed a swivel target rail but of longer length. These features formed a battlefield range for which there were no fixed firing positions; targets were raised and lowered as necessary as troops traversed the terrain, in this case from west to east.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX58SW94
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1147633
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX58SW/127

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• (Former Type) BUILDING (Post Medieval to Early 20th Century - 1540 AD (Between) to 1901 AD (Between))
• LOOKOUT (Constructed, Early 20th Century to Late 20th Century - 1901 AD (Between) to 1990 AD (Between))
• TARGET (Constructed, Early 20th Century to Late 20th Century - 1901 AD (Between) to 1990 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946 - 1949, Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs, 2149/4219 (Aerial Photograph). SDV342938.

Photograph taken on 11th June 1947 shows a long narrow structure aligned north-north-west to south-south-east.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1985, Aerial Photograph Project (Dartmoor) - Dartmoor Pre-NMP (Cartographic). SDV319854.

Recorded in the project as a 'rectangular building on south slope of Willsworthy Range and to the west of the Willsworthy Brook'.

Probert, S. + Fletcher, M. + Newman, P., 1998, Willsworthy Training Area, Peter Tavy, Devon: An Archaeological survey by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England (Report - Survey). SDV350638.

(13/07/1998) SX 53178281 to SX 54158317. A line of redundant target butts and bunkers runs roughly W to E across the S slope of White Hill and the SW flank of Nattor Down. Nine butts are present, with one exception at the W end of the line, they consist of a turf-covered stoney bank around 10m long, 2.2m wide and up to 1.5m high. Mounted on the crest of each bank are the remains of a swivel target rail. These rails are in varying states of preservation, the best still display the counterbalance arms and weights and the target fixing points. Several of the target banks appear to have been hit by shellfire and are badly damaged. Immediately in front, W, of each butt is a small bunker presumably designed to shield the target operator. The bunkers are of the 'winged shelter' type fronted by a substantial earthen mound. The shelters are open fronted and constructed from cinder blocks or shuttered concrete. The wings measure a maximum of 2.8m wide with the shelter, 1.1m wide, 0.8m deep and 1.3m high positioned centrally. A recess in the side of the shelter contained a telephone and has hinges and latch for a door.
The butt at SX 53178281 comprises a turf-covered bank 22m long with what appears to be the remains of a small bunker at its N end. It too may have possessed a swivel target rail but of longer length.
These features formed a battlefield range for which there were no fixed firing positions; targets were raised and lowered as necessary as troops traversed the terrain, in this case from W to E.

Probert, S., 2001, Willsworthy Training Area, Peter Tavy, Devon. Integrated Land Management Plan Implementation: Archaeological Condition Baseline Survey Appendices 2-5 (Report - Survey). SDV357727.

(15/02/2001) These features remain as described.

Greeves, T., 2007, Reddaford Farm, Willsworthy: An Archaeological and Historical Survey, 34 (Report - Survey). SDV360294.

Rectangular building of unknown date on the west side of Willsworthy Brook.

GeoInformation Group Ltd, 2010, 1:625 2010 Colour aerial photography for Dartmoor (12.5cm resolution) (Aerial Photograph). SDV346026.

Feature visible on aerial photograph.

Historic England, 2021-2022, NRHE to HER website, Accessed 16/11/2021 (Website). SDV364039.

The origin of these features is unclear but they are depicted on a military map of 1924 and at least one range, that to the S within the enclosed land owned by the MoD, remained in use in the mid 1950's (citing pers comment D. Mills Range Commandant).
Photographs of typical butts and bunkers are reproduced in Jones (Jones, P. K., 1993, Tracks and Military Artefacts on Willsworthy Range MoD / DNPA commissioned report, Figs 21, 22).

National Mapping Programme, post-1985, Dartmoor NMP Transcription data (Cartographic). SDV364293.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7368 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area, Peter Tavy (1998)
• EDV6663 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV6664 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV6665 - Survey of the Willsworthy Training Area
• EDV8141 - Condition survey of the Willsworthy Training Area

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.