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 military camp (Dispersed Site 10) 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. By 2014, the former camp appears to have been almost completely cleared, although hut bases are partly visible and other structures survive.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST10NW/42/8

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• DISPERSED SITE (Built, World War II - 1939 AD (Between) to 1945 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1942, RAF/16B/BR425/3, RAF/16B/BR425/3 V 34 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 appears to have 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, CPE/UK 1974, 4298 (Aerial Photograph). SDV101169.

Distinct group of military buildings visible on RAF aerial photo.

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. Map object based on this source.

Ordnance Survey, 1963-1996, 1963-1996 National Grid OS Metric (Cartographic). SDV350058.

Site has buildings marked as Owl House, Heatherlea, Ball Knap and Casamia, suggesting domestic reuse.

Ordnance Survey, 1982, OS/82219 V, OS/82219 V 1648-49 03-SEP-1982 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357675.

Most of the structures have been demolished, although a number are extant.

Horner, B., 1994, Visit to Owl House, Dunkeswell (Un-published). SDV359143.

Site visit 14th November 1994. One of the Dunkeswell Airfield accommodation blocks. Built by Wimpys in 1943. A number of concrete bases for nissen huts survive. These are raised about 0.5m above the surrounding level. The access steps have boot scrapers beside. A number of the ancillary 'temporary brick' ablution and WC blocks survive. One of these now a temporary residence named Owl House was visited. This was a shower room and WC block at ST14230651. Nearby at ST14240652 there is a small urinal block and to the south there is a 100 man air raid shelter currently used as a museum store by a local group. The site generator house was sited in the north-east of the area.

Francis, P., 1995, Blackdown Hills Airfield Survey. Dunkeswell and Upottery, 20, 74-5, Figs 3, 19, 25, Appendix 2 (Report - Survey). SDV312951.

Dunkeswell Airfield Dispersed site 10 (communal). As well as acquiring land for the airfield and its buildings, land was acquired also acquired from a number of farms for the construction of 13 dispersed living sites. Demolished structures included stores, institute, produce shop, latrines, officers' and sergeants' bath house, mess huts etc. Full list in Appendix 2. Surviving buildings include ablution huts one of which is now Owl House.

Next Perspectives, 2014, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1406 08-SEP-2014 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359479.

The former camp appears to have been almost completely cleared, although hut bases are partly visible. Part of the site is obscured by tree cover.

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 10) 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 the southern extent of a single field and covers an area of approximately 2.28 hectares of land. 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 an elongated earthwork banked feature of a possible air raid shelter. 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 was built sometime around 11th July 1942 remains largely unaltered on aerial photographs of 1947. By 1982, however, most of the structures have been demolished, although a number still remain extant. By 2014, the former camp appears to have been almost completely cleared, although hut bases are partly visible and other structures are likely to partly survive. 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

SDV101169	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. CPE/UK 1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 4298.
SDV312951	Report - Survey: Francis, P.. 1995. Blackdown Hills Airfield Survey. Dunkeswell and Upottery. Blackdown Hills AONB. A4 Comb Bound + Digital. 20, 74-5, Figs 3, 19, 25, Appendix 2. [Mapped feature: #92389 ]
SDV350058	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1963-1996. 1963-1996 National Grid OS Metric. Digital Mapping. Digital.
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.
SDV357675	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1982. OS/82219 V. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/82219 V 1648-49 03-SEP-1982.
SDV359143	Un-published: Horner, B.. 1994. Visit to Owl House, Dunkeswell. A4 Stapled + Digital.
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 ST1406 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 34 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)

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