See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Road block beside the road on Exeter side of Bow Bridge. Part of the Second World War Taunton Stop Line constructed in 1940. Visible on aerial photographs taken from the 1940s as two rectangular structures, one either side of the road. Only one concrete block, with a slot for a barrier, survives, the other having been removed for road widening.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SY29NE91
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1417431
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY29NE/278
• Pastscape: 1417431

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ROADBLOCK (Constructed, World War II - 1940 AD to 1940 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FP 1424-1425 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

Two rectangular structures are visible, one either side of the road.

Royal Air Force, 1948, CPE/UK 2431, 3199 (Aerial Photograph). SDV338615.

RAF/CPE/UK/2431/3199/(22/1/1948).

Royal Air Force, 1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2431, RAF/CPE/UK/2431 RP 3198-3199 22-JAN-1948 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359315.

Two rectangular structures are visible, one either side of the road.

Hellis, J., 1990, List of Defensive Sites (Un-published). SDV99101.

Site visit 15th January 1989. Road block beside the road on Exeter side of bridge. One of the blocks has been removed due to bridge widening. Two concrete blocks visible flanking west end of bridge, on 1948 RAF aerial photo.

Horner, W., 1993, Pillboxes (Personal Comment). SDV109631.

Site vist 4th December 1993. Single square, round-topped, concrete road block with slot for barrier. On south side of road.

Newbery, J. D., 1996, Bow Bridge Road Block (Worksheet). SDV356778.

Large block on the side of the road with a slot in it for a barrier. The block across the road was removed circa 1980 for road widening and construction of a footbridge. When the barrier was slotted in place, access on the A35 would have been blocked at the western end of Bow bridge. Barrier made of old railway line and sleepers.

Dobinson, C. S., 1998, The Taunton Stop Line. Component Listing, 13 (Report - non-specific). SDV109230.

Type RB No2 R roadblock of priority 'B' with 13 tetrahedra and 18 mines.

GetMapping, 2010, GetMapping 2010 aerial photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV351585.

Square block visible on south side of road at west end of bridge. Map object previously based on this source.

Next Perspectives, 2014, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SY2898 08-SEP-2014 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359479.

A rectangular structure is visible on the south side of the road.

Historic England, 2015-2016, NRHE to HER prototype, 485456 (Website). SDV359652.

Summary description
Remains of a Second World War road block on the west side of Bow Bridge just west of Axminster Road. The road block was constructed in 1940-41 and comprised at least two concrete blocks and a barrier of old railway line and sleepers. A field visit in 2000 recorded a large block on side of the road with slot in it for the barrier. The companion block was removed in 1980 during road widening and construction of a footbridge.
Full description
Large block on side of road with slot in it for barrier (made of old railway line and sleepers). A further block was removed c1980 for road widening and construction of footbridge.
Road block at River Axe crossing. Companion block on other side of the road has been removed with road widening.
Horizontal rail road block pillar at Bow Bridge (which was prepared for demolition), with 6pdr. anti-tank gun emplacement nearby [see UORN 1319]. The block reduced the road width from 22ft to 17ft 8ins. It was supported by 13 tetrahedra and 18 mines. The second pillar has been removed.
[Information from David Hunt].
At W side of Bow Bridge (A35 road) over River Axe, just W of Axminster Road. (1)
Sources
1 Migrated Defence of Britain Project database record originally compiled from various sources The two databases developed by the Project can be searched on-line through the Archaeology Data Service at http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/specColl/dob/index.cfm
Monument types, periods and evidence
Roadblock: Constructed 1940-41, Second World War. Structure
Related monuments: 1423486
Related events: 1444724 THE DEFENCE OF BRITAIN PROJECT Measured Survey
Related archives/objects: DEB01 Defence of Britain
Record created: Prior to 01/04/1999

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

Two rectangular structures, circa 1.5 metres across, are visible one either side of the west end of Bow Bridge on aerial photographs taken from 1947. They are part of a previously recorded 1940-1941 roadblock that forms part of the Second World War Taunton Stop Line.
The 1948 RAF prints held by Historic England have been recorded here as an additional source because there is a possibility that the prints may have been processed differently to those held by Devon County Council. This would potentially result in images on which archaeological features show slightly differently.
The structure on the north side of the bridge is not visible on the modern aerial photographs, but the southern structure is clearly visible on aerial photographs taken in 2014.

Google, 2018, Google Streetview (Website). SDV360654.

One side of the road block, with slot for barrier, survives on the south side of the road adjacent to Bow Bridge.

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. 13.
SDV109631	Personal Comment: Horner, W.. 1993. Pillboxes. Not Applicable.
SDV338615	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1948. CPE/UK 2431. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 3199.
SDV351585	Aerial Photograph: GetMapping. 2010. GetMapping 2010 aerial photographs. Getmapping. Photograph (Digital).
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FP 1424-1425 11-APR-1947.
SDV356778	Worksheet: Newbery, J. D.. 1996. Bow Bridge Road Block. Defence of Britain Project. Worksheet + Digital.
SDV359315	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1948. RAF/CPE/UK/2431. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/2431 RP 3198-3199 22-JAN-1948. [Mapped feature: #93440 ]
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 SY2898 08-SEP-2014.
SDV359652	Website: Historic England. 2015-2016. NRHE to HER prototype. https://nrhe-to-her.esdm.co.uk/home. Website. 485456.
SDV360654	Website: Google. 2018. Google Streetview. http://maps.google.co.uk. Website.
SDV99101	Un-published: Hellis, J.. 1990. List of Defensive Sites. Manuscript.

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)

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