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Summary

A military camp (Dispersed Site 8) of Second World War date is visible as a number of structures and earthwork banked features on aerial photographs of 1943 onwards, to the southeast of Dunkeswell airfield. Structures and earthworks remain visible in 2014.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST10NW/42/4

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MILITARY BUILDING (XVIII to XXI - 1751 AD to 2009 AD (Between))
• DISPERSED SITE (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD (Between))

Full description

1947, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV129572.

Distinct group of military buildings visible on raf (1947) aps (aph).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV129574.

Aph=raf/cpe/uk 1974/(11-04-1947)4298.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV129575.

Francis, p. /blackdown hills airfield survey/(1995).

Royal Air Force, 1942, RAF/16B/BR425/3, RAF/16B/BR425/3 V 35 02-FEB-1942 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359929.

The camp has not yet been constructed.

Royal Air Force, 1942, RAF/FNO/38, RAF/FNO/38 RV 6021 11-JUL-1942 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359770.

Construction of the camp has commenced.

United States Airforce, 1943, US/7PH/GP/LOC14, US/7PH/GP/LOC14 RV 6005 09-AUG-1943 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359565.

A range of structures and earthwork banked features are visible.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS 4297-4298 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

A number of structures and earthwork banked features are visible.

Ordnance Survey, 1982, OS/82219 V, OS/82219 V 1630 03-SEP-1982 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357675.

The former camp has been almost completely cleared, apart from a single structure and earthwork bank of an air raid shelter.

Francis, P., 1995, Blackdown Hills Airfield Survey. Dunkeswell and Upottery. (Report - Survey). SDV312951.

Dunkeswell airfield dispersed site 8 (accommodation). Many buildings have been demolished, including barrack huts, latrines, ablution blocks etc. Full list in appendix 2. No buildings were found at site 8, only concrete hut bases survive (francis).

Next Perspectives, 2014, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1407 08-SEP-2014 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359479.

A single structure, air raid shelter and two platforms of former huts remain visible.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2016-2018, The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV359463.

A military camp (Dispersed Site 8) of Second World War date is visible as a number of structures and earthwork banked features on aerial photographs of 1943 onwards, to the southeast of Dunkeswell airfield. The camp occupies a single field of approximately 1.64 hectares. The site comprises a number of structures largely consisting of nissen huts, most likely utilised for accommodation, storage and administration, as well as an embanked water tank and several elongated earthwork banked features of possible air raid shelters. The camp is located in close proximity to a number of other similarly dispersed camps associated with Dunkeswell airfield, situated approximately 1km to the northwest. The camps are all interconnected by a series of trackways, some of which are still partly extant on modern digital mapping. The camp, which has been partly constructed by 11th July, remains largely unaltered on aerial photographs of 1947. By 1982, however, most of the structures have been demolished, although a single extant structure and air raid shelter remain visible. These remain visible in 2014, with the addition of two platforms of former huts. In accordance with standard NMP methodology, any structures and/or earthworks associated with this camp which are depicted on modern digital mapping were not transcribed during this survey.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV129572	Migrated Record: 1947.
SDV129574	Aerial Photograph:
SDV129575	Migrated Record:
SDV312951	Report - Survey: Francis, P.. 1995. Blackdown Hills Airfield Survey. Dunkeswell and Upottery.. Blackdown Hills AONB. Digital + A4.
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS 4297-4298 11-APR-1947. [Mapped feature: #92385 ]
SDV357675	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1982. OS/82219 V. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/82219 V 1630 03-SEP-1982.
SDV359463	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2016-2018. The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. Historic England Research Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:2
SDV359479	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2014. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1407 08-SEP-2014.
SDV359565	Aerial Photograph: United States Airforce. 1943. US/7PH/GP/LOC14. United States Airforce. Photograph (Paper). US/7PH/GP/LOC14 RV 6005 09-AUG-1943.
SDV359770	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1942. RAF/FNO/38. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photocopy. RAF/FNO/38 RV 6021 11-JUL-1942.
SDV359929	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1942. RAF/16B/BR425/3. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/16B/BR425/3 V 35 02-FEB-1942.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4948 - Blackdown Hills Airfield Survey
• EDV7508 - The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Ref: ACD1228)

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