Axminster, only 8 miles from the coast, was completely encircled by defences during the Second World War forming an anti-tank island on the Taunton Stop Line. It was intended that it would serve as a base for counter attack should the Line be breached. The defences, visible on Royal Air Force 1948 aerial photographs, included anti-tank ditches and obstacles, road and rail blocks. Within this perimeter there were at least 20 pill boxes. See associated monuments for further details of individual sites, buildings and features.
Axminster was one of three fortified areas on the Taunton Stop Line, the other two being at Cogload Junction at Taunton and Ilminster. It was surrounded by pillboxes and anti-tank obstacles to create an enclave from which the line could be held or counter-attacks launched. The original plan envisaged reserves of troops and armour within the area.
Details of perimeter defences visible on Royal Air Force 1948 Aerial photographs. Protection on the west is provided by the river Axe and the railway embankment supplemented in places by concrete anti-tank obstacles and lengths of anti-tank ditch. The south, east and north sides are protected by an anti-tank ditch and obstacles. The principal road and rail entry points are flanked by anti-tank obstacles and road/rail blocks. Within this perimeter there are at least 20 pillboxes.
Axminster was one of the strategic towns along the Stop Line which were heavily fortified with encircling defences, codenamed 'hedgehogs'. Should the Stop Line have been breached then these towns would have served as bases for counterattack.
The town of Axminster, only 8 miles from the coast, was completely encircled by defences forming an anti-tank island. The defences included anti-tank ditches and obstacles, road and rail blocks and at least 20 pillboxes. The Taunton Stop Line ran down the western side of the town.
| MDV122775 | Parent of: Anti Tank Cubes adjacent to Railway by Horslears Sewage Works, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV122814 | Parent of: Anti Tank ditch at Horslears, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV50885 | Parent of: Anti Tank Posts circa 109 metres north-west of Dragon's Mead, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV134740 | Parent of: Anti-tank blocks by the former railway bridge, to the north-east of Axminster Sewage Works (Monument) |
| MDV58413 | Parent of: Anti-Tank Cube at Confluence of Mill Brook and River Axe (Monument) |
| MDV75612 | Parent of: Anti-Tank Cubes on East Side of Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV75613 | Parent of: Anti-Tank Cubes on East Side of Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV48159 | Parent of: Anti-Tank Ditch around south-east side of Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV24551 | Parent of: Anti-Tank Ditch on south side of Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV48158 | Parent of: Anti-tank Ditch to north of Bow Bridge, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV123127 | Parent of: Anti-Tank Ditch, Woodbury Lane, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV48160 | Parent of: Anti-tank ditches on the north-east side of Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV117274 | Parent of: Anti-tank obstacle to north-west of Mill Brook, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV50880 | Parent of: Anti-Tank Obstacle to west of Axminster Coal Yard (Monument) |
| MDV122041 | Parent of: Anti-tank obstacle, Cloakham Drive, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV50879 | Parent of: Anti-Tank Obstacles below Town Weir, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV48163 | Parent of: Anti-Tank Obstacles north-west of Stony Bridge, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV48161 | Parent of: Anti-tank obstacles on the north-east side of Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV81059 | Parent of: Anti-Tank Obstacles on west side of Musbury Road, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV48164 | Parent of: Anti-Tank Obstacles south-west of Stony Bridge, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV117278 | Parent of: Anti-tank obstacles to north-west of Mill Brook, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV117290 | Parent of: Anti-tank obstacles to north-west of Mill Brook, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV50883 | Parent of: Anti-tank obstacles to north-west of Mill Brook, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV49432 | Parent of: Anti-Tank Obstacles, Stony Lane, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV49434 | Parent of: Brookhill Pillbox off Chard Street, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV50323 | Parent of: Infantry Trench to north-east of Horslears Sewage Works, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV52933 | Parent of: Millbrook Pillboxes, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV52905 | Parent of: Pillbox 190 metres southeast of Axminster Sewage Works (Monument) |
| MDV52925 | Parent of: Pillbox on west side of Stony Lane, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV52906 | Parent of: Pillbox on Wyke Road, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV48145 | Parent of: Pillbox S.38 to the north-east of Mill Brook, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV48165 | Parent of: Pillbox S.39 to south of Mill Brook, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV48168 | Parent of: Pillbox S.40 to south of Ashbrook, west of Willhays Lane, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV52935 | Parent of: Pillbox S.41 to north of the Cemetery, Chard Road, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV52934 | Parent of: Pillbox S.41a, Cloakham Lawn, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV50878 | Parent of: Pillbox S.43 near Town Weir, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV50881 | Parent of: Pillbox S.44 south-west of Stony Bridge, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV52931 | Parent of: Pillbox S.44a to east of Lyme Close, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV50877 | Parent of: Pillbox S.45 to north east of railway station, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV52923 | Parent of: Pillbox S.46 206 metres south-east of Bow Bridge, Axminster. (Monument) |
| MDV48157 | Parent of: Pillbox S.47 to west of Factories on west side of Musbury Road (Monument) |
| MDV42342 | Parent of: Pillbox S.48 adjacent to Horslears Sewage Works, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV24546 | Parent of: Pillbox S.51a to north-west of Lower Abbey Farm, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV50876 | Parent of: Pillbox S.AT.601 48 metres south of Bow Bridge, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV42343 | Parent of: Pillbox SV.7 at Horslears Sewage Works, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV24545 | Parent of: Pillbox SV.8 to north-west of Lower Abbey Farm, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV48167 | Parent of: Pillbox T125, Morton Way, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV52936 | Parent of: Pillbox to north of Lyme Road, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV50884 | Parent of: Pillbox to north-east of Mill Brook, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV52922 | Parent of: Pillbox, Lyme Close, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV52932 | Parent of: Pillboxes S.45a and S.46a, Tigers Way, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV117217 | Parent of: Possible Anti-tank Obstacle north-east of Bow Bridge, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV117218 | Parent of: Possible Anti-tank Obstacle north-east of Stony Bridge, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV119034 | Parent of: Possible Pillbox north of Millbrook, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV52908 | Parent of: Possible Pillbox, Foxhill, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV50875 | Parent of: Railblock to east of Musbury Road, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV49214 | Parent of: Road Block SRD.60 at west end of Bow Bridge, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV77283 | Parent of: Road Block, Morton Way, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV49215 | Parent of: Roadblock on north-east side of Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV72485 | Parent of: Roadblock S.Rd.134, Lyme Road, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV50882 | Parent of: Roadblock S.RD.57 to north of Mill Brook, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV72483 | Parent of: Roadblock S.Rd.58, Chard Road, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV72484 | Parent of: Roadblock S.Rd.59 at Stony Bridge, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV42344 | Parent of: S.A/T.602 Anti-Tank Gun Emplacement, next to Horslears Sewage Works, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV48156 | Parent of: Shoals Pillbox, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV119535 | Part of: The Taunton Stop Line (Monument) |
| MDV117295 | Related to: Military Base to north of Lime Road, Axminster (Monument) |
| MDV24804 | Related to: Stony Lane, Axminster (Monument) |