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Summary

Pillbox with a concrete blast wall. Visible as a structure on aerial photographs taken in 1947 but now obscured by vegetation. Part of the Wadbrook defence area on the Second World War Taunton Stop Line constructed in 1940.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: World War II pillbox to south of Wadbrook Farm, part of the Taunton Stop Line

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1417419
• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST30SW/124

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PILLBOX (Built, World War II - 1940 AD to 1940 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, CPE/UK/1974/3421 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363126.

Pillbox visible on 1947 RAF aerial photo. Part of Taunton Stop Line. Appears to be polygonal type FW3/24.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1975, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 FP 1117-1118 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359646.

A six-sided structure is visible.

Wills, H., 1985, Pillboxes. A Study of UK Defences 1940, 76 (Monograph). SDV336210.

Wills lists polygonal west facing pillbox of mixed construction at ST324016.

Horner, B., 1993, Pillboxes and Roadblocks (Site Visit). SDV360454.

Site visit 14th May 1993. Pillbox visible situated on slight rise in slope overlooking Axe Bridge. Partly overgrown.

Dangerfield, M.E. + Dangerfield, J.D. + Tibbles, N., 1997, Wadbrook Pillbox (Worksheet). SDV357517.

Type 24 Pillbox, thick walled. Exterior condition poor - breeze blocks being weathered and disintegration well advanced. Some areas devoid of blocks. Brick interior lining in good condition. Concrete blast wall. Pillbox being invaded by vegetation.

Dobinson, C. S., 1998, The Taunton Stop Line. Component Listing, 4 (Report - non-specific). SDV109230.

Pillbox S.21 of type FW3/22 with 3ft 6in thick walls.

Foot, W., 2005, Defence Areas. A National Study of Second World War Anti-Invasion Landscapes in England, DA04-Wadbrook-S0001313 (Report - Survey). SDV360266.

Site visit 14th January 2003. Wadbrook defence area. Pillbox (Type FW3/24). Located to east of Axe Bridge. Concrete-block constructed type 24 pillbox. Heavily overgrown. No access, on private land. Viewed from adjacent lane. In bad condition, the pillbox is very much overgrown.

Next Perspectives, 2014, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST3201 13-JUN-2014 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359309.

An area of vegetation is visible, defined by straight sides on the east and north.

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

A small six-sided structure, circa 5.5 by 6 metres square, is visible on aerial photographs taken in 1947. It is very likely to be the Second World War pillbox S.21 marked on Royal Engineers plans for the 1940 Taunton Stop Line. It is depicted on modern mapping and so has not been transcribed.

Ordnance Survey, 2017, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359962.

Powell-Thomas, A., 2017, The West Country's last Line of Defence. Taunton Stop Line, 76 (Monograph). SDV360594.

Overgrown pillbox visible from the road.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV109230	Report - non-specific: Dobinson, C. S.. 1998. The Taunton Stop Line. Component Listing. Twentieth Century Fortifications in England. AI/S/3. Photocopy. 4.
SDV336210	Monograph: Wills, H.. 1985. Pillboxes. A Study of UK Defences 1940. Pillboxes. Hardback Volume. 76.
SDV357517	Worksheet: Dangerfield, M.E. + Dangerfield, J.D. + Tibbles, N.. 1997. Wadbrook Pillbox. Defence of Britain Project. Worksheet + Digital.
SDV359309	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2014. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Aerial Photography for Great Britain Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST3201 13-JUN-2014.
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
SDV359646	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1975. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1975 FP 1117-1118 11-APR-1947.
SDV359962	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2017. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital. [Mapped feature: #93270 ]
SDV360266	Report - Survey: Foot, W.. 2005. Defence Areas. A National Study of Second World War Anti-Invasion Landscapes in England. Council for British Archaeology/English Heritage. Digital. DA04-Wadbrook-S0001313.
SDV360454	Site Visit: Horner, B.. 1993. Pillboxes and Roadblocks. Not Applicable.
SDV360594	Monograph: Powell-Thomas, A.. 2017. The West Country's last Line of Defence. Taunton Stop Line. The West Country's last Line of Defence. Taunton Stop Line. Paperback Volume. 76.
SDV363126	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. CPE/UK/1974/3421. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper).

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

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

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