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Summary

A dispersed Second World War military site (Dispersed Site 7) associated with Exeter airport is visible as a range of structures on aerial photographs of 1944 onwards, at Marwood Cross. A single building, or buildings, of the former gymnasium/cinema/church to the northeast of the site remains extant in 2015.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Military structures; earthworks and archaeological remains of World War II, RAF Exeter and post medieval catchmeadows and orchard banks on footprint of modern Exeter Airport and to the east

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY09SW/78
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

APH, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV102766.

Group of military buildings visible on 1947 raf ap (aph).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV102767.

Aph=raf/cpe/uk/1974/2461/(11/4/1947).

United States Airforce, 1944, US/7PH/GP/LOC252, US/7PH/GP/LOC252 RP/RS 4019-20 20-MAR-1944 (Aerial Photograph). SDV358580.

A range of structures of the dispersed site are visible.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1412, RAF/106G/UK/1412 RS 4433-34 13-APR-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352504.

A range of structures of the dispersed site are visible. Map object based on this source.

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

Map object previously based on this Source.

Ordnance Survey, 1966, OS/66185 V, OS/66185 V 401-02 22-JUL-1966 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357577.

A number of buildings remain extant, although the site appears disused and overgrown.

Ordnance Survey, 1989, OS/89277, OS/89277 V 097-98 14-JUN-1989 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356291.

The site has been almost completely cleared and a residential dwelling has been constructed here.

Oxford Archaeotechnics Ltd, 1995, A30 Honiton to Exeter Improvement Archaeological Assessment: Topsoil Magnetic Susceptibility Survey and Magnetometer (Gradiometer) Survey (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV356427.

Francis, P., 1999, Exeter Airport. Historic Airport Survey for Devon County Council & East Devon District Council, 112 (Report - non-specific). SDV323390.

Dispersed Site 7. The only surviving building is the gymnasium/cinema/church (Monument 78414). Other details: Map 13, Site 7, Buildings 370-401. Map object based on this Source.

Ordnance Survey, 2014, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV355681.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2014-2015, East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV356883.

A dispersed Second World War military site (Dispersed Site 7) associated with Exeter airport is visible as a range of structures on aerial photographs of 1944 onwards, at Marwood Cross. The site is located either side of the B3184, at the intersection with Marwood Lane, approximately 400m to the southeast of the main airfield site. The dispersed site comprises a number of pitched roof structures and nissen huts interconnected with trackways and occupying a total area of approximately 2 hectares of land. The main focus of the site is concentrated on the south side of the B3184. A 380m long trackway is visible connecting this site to that of a playing field and a second military site (Dispersed Site 2) to the northeast. By 1966, aerial photographs show that the site is in a disused and overgrown state, with numerous platforms of removed buildings visible, although a number of upstanding structures remain extant. By 1989 the site has been almost completely cleared and has been partly given over to a residential dwelling of 'Deer Copse'. A single building of the former gymnasium/cinema/church, however, survives to the northeast of the site in 2015.

Ordnance Survey, 2015, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV357601.

A single building, interpreted elsewhere in this record as the gymnasium/cinema/church, to the northeast of the site remains extant.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV102766	Migrated Record: APH.
SDV102767	Aerial Photograph:
SDV323390	Report - non-specific: Francis, P.. 1999. Exeter Airport. Historic Airport Survey for Devon County Council & East Devon District Council. Airfield Research Publishing Report. Digital + A4. 112.
SDV342938	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946 - 1949. Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Digital).
SDV352504	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/106G/UK/1412. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/106G/UK/1412 RS 4433-34 13-APR-1946.
SDV355681	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2014. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital.
SDV356291	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1989. OS/89277. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/89277 V 097-98 14-JUN-1989.
SDV356427	Report - Geophysical Survey: Oxford Archaeotechnics Ltd. 1995. A30 Honiton to Exeter Improvement Archaeological Assessment: Topsoil Magnetic Susceptibility Survey and Magnetometer (Gradiometer) Survey. Oxford Archaeotechnics Ltd Report. A3 Comb Bound + Digital.
SDV356883	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2014-2015. East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV357577	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1966. OS/66185 V. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/66185 V 401-02 22-JUL-1966.
SDV357601	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2015. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital.
SDV358580	Aerial Photograph: United States Airforce. 1944. US/7PH/GP/LOC252. United States Airforce. Photograph (Paper). US/7PH/GP/LOC252 RP/RS 4019-20 20-MAR-1944.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4774 - Historic Airport Survey, Exeter Airport
• EDV6530 - The East and Mid-Devon Rivers Catchment NMP project (Ref: ACD613)
• EDV6447 - Geophysical Survey for A30 Honiton to Exeter Improvement Scheme (Ref: 0480694/EXD/EXM)

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