See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

Pillbox commanding the railway bridge but now hidden beneath trees and bushes. It is visible as a small structure on aerial photographs taken from 1947 onwards but is obscured by scrub or tree growth on the more recent aerial imagery. It formed part of the Weycroft defence area on the Taunton Stop Line constructed in 1940.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Earthworks and structures associated with the Weycroft Defence Area on the World War Two 'Taunton Stop Line' and cropmarks of a rectangular enclosure of unknown date east of Weycroft

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1417326
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY39NW/76
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Royal Engineers, 1940, Plans of Taunton Stop Line, Axminster Union & RD (Cartographic). SDV325259.

Pillbox S.34 recorded on Royal Engineer's plans.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FP 1423-1424 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

A low structure is visible.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974/1423 (Aerial Photograph). SDV348806.

Pillbox visible. Appears to be type FW3/24 facing northwest to cover railway crossing of river Axe.

Wills, H., 1985, Pillboxes. A Study of UK Defences 1940, 74 (Monograph). SDV336210.

Wills lists polygonal west facing pillbox of mixed construction at SY305999.

Horner, B., 1995, Taunton Stop Line Survey Site Visit (Site Visit). SDV325640.

Site visit 13th June 1995. Reinforced shuttered concrete type 24 pillbox on low ground at foot of scarp and below rail bridge. Adjacent to river and site of former railblock. The pillbox has been partly painted by vandals.

Hayne, D. + Weston, H., 1996, Pillbox Adjacent to Railway Bridge, Weycroft (Worksheet). SDV356743.

Hexagonal pillbox, adjacent to southend of railway bridge and river Axe. This site floods when river Axe overflows, pillbox has been vandalised with paint.

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

Pillbox of type FW/22 with 3ft 6in thick walls.

Foot, W., 2005, Defence Areas. A National Study of Second World War Anti-Invasion Landscapes in England, DA03-Weycroft-S0001220, p6 (Report - Survey). SDV360266.

Site visit 14th January 2003. Weycroft defence area. Pillbox (type FW3/24). Type 24 pillbox close to and commanding the railway bridge but now hidden at foot of slope beneath trees and bushes. Constructed of concrete blocks with a long concrete-lined entry way and small stepped embrasures. There are no rear embrasures due to the bank behind. An anti-tank ditch probably ran from this pillbox at the foot the slope parallel with the river (S0016344). In good condition, although it has graffiti daubs and the site can flood. Interior access is possible.

Next Perspectives, 2010, Aerial Photography for Great Britain - Digital Elevation Data, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SY3099 23-MAY-2010 (Cartographic). SDV359481.

A small structure is just visible although mostly obscured by scrub.

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

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

Summary description
A Second World War type 24 pillbox located near Weycroft, beside River Axe and railway line. The pillbox was constructed in 1940-41, built of breeze blocks, brick and concrete and formed part of the Taunton Stop Line. The Line which primarily followed natural waterways such as the River Axe and River Parrett was put in place to stop enemy advance from the west and the Devon, Somerset or Cornish coasts. The line was constructed by 551st and 552nd Army Troops Company Royal Engineers and manned in 1940 and 1941 by the 48th Division of VIII Corps. A field visit in 1996 found the pillbox extant and in a fair condition.
Full description
Hexagonal type 24 pillbox, made of breeze blocks, adjacent to S end of railway bridge. Near Weycroft, beside River Axe and railway line, at point where river flows under the line from W - E.Near Weycroft, beside River Axe and railway line, at point where river flows under the line from W - E.(1)
Sources
1 Migrated Defence of Britain Project database record originally compiled from various sources
Monument types, periods and evidence
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24) Constructed 1940-41 1940 SECOND WORLD WAR 1941 SECOND WORLD WAR STRUCTURE
PILLBOX Constructed 1940-41 1940 SECOND WORLD WAR 1941 SECOND WORLD WAR STRUCTURE
Related monuments
None recorded
Related events
is related to 1444724 THE DEFENCE OF BRITAIN PROJECT Measured Survey
Related archives/objects
is related to DEB01 Defence of Britain
Actors
Engineer HE NRHE Monument Inventory 01-01-1940 31-12-1940
Engineer HE NRHE Monument Inventory 01-01-1940 31-12-1940
Person of historic interest/notable pers HE NRHE Monument Inventory 01-01-1940 31-12-1945
Metadata
When created: prior to 01-APR-1999
Created by Inventory

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

A low, flat-roofed structure is visible on aerial photographs taken from 1947 onwards. It is immediately east of the railway line and is probably the pillbox recorded on a 1940 Royal Engineers plan and part of the Taunton Stop Line. It is obscured by tree cover on the most recent aerial images but is depicted on modern mapping so has not been transcribed as part of this survey.

Powell-Thomas, A., 2017, The West Country's last Line of Defence. Taunton Stop Line, 77 (Monograph). SDV360594.

Pillbox providing direct cover for the railway bridge. The bank rises up behind it, so it has no rear embrasure.

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.
SDV325259	Cartographic: Royal Engineers. 1940. Plans of Taunton Stop Line. Royal Engineers Survey Plan circa July 1940. Unknown. Axminster Union & RD.
SDV325640	Site Visit: Horner, B.. 1995. Taunton Stop Line Survey Site Visit. Taunton Stop Line Survey. Not Applicable.
SDV336210	Monograph: Wills, H.. 1985. Pillboxes. A Study of UK Defences 1940. Pillboxes. Hardback Volume. 74.
SDV348806	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974/1423. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper).
SDV355681	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2014. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital. [Mapped feature: #93500 ]
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FP 1423-1424 11-APR-1947.
SDV356743	Worksheet: Hayne, D. + Weston, H.. 1996. Pillbox Adjacent to Railway Bridge, Weycroft. Defence of Britain Project. Worksheet + 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
SDV359481	Cartographic: Next Perspectives. 2010. Aerial Photography for Great Britain - Digital Elevation Data. Aerial Photography for Great Britain Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SY3099 23-MAY-2010.
SDV359652	Website: Historic England. 2015-2016. NRHE to HER prototype. https://nrhe-to-her.esdm.co.uk/home. Website.
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. DA03-Weycroft-S0001220, p6.
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. 77.

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.