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Summary

Pillbox on the north side of the railway bridge near Willhay Lane. Part of the Second World War Taunton Stop Line constructed in 1940. Visible as a small structure on aerial photographs taken from 1947. It was extant in 1996.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1417410
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY29NE/292

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PILLBOX (Built, 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.

A small rectangular structure is visible.

Royal Air Force, 1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2431/3199 (Aerial Photograph). SDV109622.

Possible pair of pillboxes visible on Royal Air Force aerial photograph of 1948, flanking railway line on north side of road bridge.

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

Wills lists a polygonal north facing pillbox of mixed construction at SY300992 which is possibly this site.

Hayne, D. + Weston, H., 1996, Pillbox, Cloakham Railway Bridge (Worksheet). SDV356752.

Pillbox on northside of railway bridge adjacent to both bridge and line. Rectangular circa 16 feet by 16 feet of normal height, now mostly covered by dense ivy and brambles.

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

The foundations are possibly still extant.

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

A rectangular Second World War concrete, brick and breezeblock pillbox that forms part of the 1940-1941 Taunton Stop Line is visible as flat-roofed structure, circa 5 metres square, on aerial photographs taken from 1947 onwards.
The 1940s RAF prints held by Historic England have been recorded as additional sources 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 was recorded as extant on a site visit in the 1990s but is appears to be obscured by vegetation on the more recent aerial photographs.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV109622	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1948. RAF/CPE/UK/2431/3199. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper).
SDV336210	Monograph: Wills, H.. 1985. Pillboxes. A Study of UK Defences 1940. Pillboxes. Hardback Volume. 74.
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. [Mapped feature: #93828 ]
SDV356752	Worksheet: Hayne, D. + Weston, H.. 1996. Pillbox, Cloakham Railway Bridge. 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

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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