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Summary

A Second World War military camp, Dispersed Site 5, is visible as a number of structures and earthworks on aerial photographs of 1944 and 1948, at Smeatharpe, Upottery. On digital images of 2014, only a few building platforms and the main access track remain visible.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Second World War Military Camp, Dispersed Site 5 (Quarters), Upottery Airfield

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST21SW/22/1
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

APH, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV131650.

Platforms of wwii military buildings recorded from the air in 1994 (aph).

APH, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV131652.

Group of at least 39 small nissen huts, probably barrack huts, recorded on raf 1947 ap (aph).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV131654.

Aph=dap/wc5/(21/2/1994).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV131655.

Des=os 6" (1968).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV131656.

Aph=raf/cpe/uk/1974/1303/(11/4/1947)/smr 22/79.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV131657.

Francis, p. /blackdown hills airfield survey/(1995).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV148.

Roofless buildings marked on os 6" (1968) map. Presumably barracks/service buildings associated with airbase at upottery (st11se/89). Further buildings visible across county boundary in churchstanton parish (os).

United States Airforce, 1944, US/7PH/GP/LOC314, US/7PH/GP/LOC314 V 5019 22-APR-1944 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359865.

A number of structures are visible.

Royal Air Force, 1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2491, RAF/CPE/UK/2491 RP 3190-91 11-MAR-1948 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359578.

A number of structures and earthwork ditches are visible.

Royal Air Force, 1971, RAF/39/3800, RAF/39/3800 V 067-68 06-OCT-1971 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359525.

Several extant structures are visible.

Ordnance Survey, 1989, OS/89275, OS/89275 V 112-13 14-JUN-1989 (Aerial Photograph). SDV360026.

Several extant structures are visible.

Francis, P., 1995, Blackdown Hills Airfield Survey. Dunkeswell and Upottery., 125 (Report - Survey). SDV312951.

Upottery domestic site 5 (quarters). Demolished buildings listed, including officers' ablutions and latrines, barrack huts, drying room block etc (francis).

Next Perspectives, 2014, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST2011 08-SEP-2014 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359479.

Remains of structures are visible.

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

A Second World War military camp, Dispersed Site 5, is visible as a number of structures and earthworks on aerial photographs of 1944 and 1948, at Smeatharpe. The camp occupies a single agricultural field and covers an area of approximately 3.30 hectares of land. It is defined by field boundaries to the southeast, southwest and northwest and by possible fencing to the northeast. The site comprises a number of structures, largely consisting of nissen huts, which are dispersed across the field. A number of linear, V-shaped and X-shaped earthwork ditches of possible slit trenches are visible amongst the nissen huts within the southeast portion of the site. The camp is located in close proximity to a number of other similarly dispersed camps associated with Upottery airfield, situated approximately 1km to the southwest. The camps are interconnected by a series of trackways, some of which are still partly extant on modern digital mapping and via Slough Lane and the main Smeatharpe road. The camp appears fully constructed in 1944 and remains unaltered on aerial photographs of 1948. By 1971, however, the structures have been largely demolished, exposing a number of concrete platforms, although several structures remain extant. These building platforms and the few extant structures remain visible in 1989, although on digital images of 2014 and modern digital Ordnance Survey mapping, only a few building platforms and the main access track are visible as structures.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV131650	Migrated Record: APH.
SDV131652	Migrated Record: APH.
SDV131654	Aerial Photograph:
SDV131655	Migrated Record:
SDV131656	Aerial Photograph:
SDV131657	Migrated Record:
SDV148	Migrated Record:
SDV312951	Report - Survey: Francis, P.. 1995. Blackdown Hills Airfield Survey. Dunkeswell and Upottery.. Blackdown Hills AONB. Digital + A4. 125.
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 ST2011 08-SEP-2014.
SDV359525	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1971. RAF/39/3800. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/39/3800 V 067-68 06-OCT-1971.
SDV359578	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1948. RAF/CPE/UK/2491. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/2491 RP 3190-91 11-MAR-1948. [Mapped feature: #93943 ]
SDV359865	Aerial Photograph: United States Airforce. 1944. US/7PH/GP/LOC314. United States Airforce. Photograph (Paper). US/7PH/GP/LOC314 V 5019 22-APR-1944.
SDV360026	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1989. OS/89275. Ordnance Survey Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). OS/89275 V 112-13 14-JUN-1989.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4948 - Blackdown Hills Airfield Survey
• EDV7508 - The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Ref: ACD1228)

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