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Summary

A Second World War earthwork embanked concrete structure is visible to south of Membury on aerial photographs of 1945 onwards. The structure is probably the remains of the control shelter for the bombing decoy located about 275 metres to the south-west.

Location

Protected Status

• SHINE: Remains of World War II bombing decoy, Control Shelter buildings and undated irregular enclosure south east of Wembury

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 413098
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX54NW/14/1
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MILITARY BUILDING (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD (Between))

Full description

APH, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV137138.

Site visible on 1946 raf ap (aph).

Cresswell, B. F., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV137141.

Recorded on original 6" plans of wembury bombing decoy (crawshaw).

Pye, A. + Woodward, F., Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV137142.

Gazetteer refers erroneously to 'prn=sx54nw-97' for this wembury bombing decoy (pye + woodward).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV137143.

Aph=raf/cpe/uk/1890/3105/(10/12/1946)/smr 57/107.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV137144.

Des=plymouth fortress survey/ pye,a. / (1993)/copy in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV137147.

Des=crawshaw, a. /wwii decoys/ms + plans/(nov 1996)/in smr.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV137148.

Pye, a. + woodward, f. /the historic defences of plymouth/(1996)233.

PLYMOUTH FORTRESS SURVEY, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV27236.

Vis=-/04/1993(pye) military building located on a south-facing spur about 1km north of the south coast, to the south-east of the village of wembury and about 300m to the south-west of the farm of old barton at the end of a track. It consists of a concrete building rather like an above-ground bunker containing two windowless rooms off a central corridor. There appears to be a tank of some kind on the roof above the corridor. Function not clear. The siting would suggest some wwii defensive purpose although no anti-aircraft batteries are recorded by the fsg on this site. Probably related to the building located about 250m to the north(plymouth fortress survey).

Royal Air Force, 1945, RAF/106G/UK/967, RAF/106G/UK/967 V 4104-4105 01-NOV-1945 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351060.

A rectangular earthwork covered mound is visible.

Clamp, A. L., 1995, Bombing Decoy Shelter or Command Post (Worksheet). SDV137145.

Long low shelter of concrete and brick in field north of New Barton Farm. Gave protection to personnel manning the decoy site on the high ground.

Horner, W., 1996, Wembury Bombing Decoy (Worksheet). SDV357485.

Bombing decoy control post shown on map.

Channel Coast Observatory, 2001-2012, Channel Coast Observatory Aerial Photography, Channel Coast Observatory SX5248 18-SEP-2012 © CCO (Aerial Photograph). SDV351226.

A rectangular structure is partly visible, through dense tree cover.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2013-2014, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV351146.

A Second World War earthwork embanked concrete structure is visible to the south of Membury on aerial photographs of 1945 onwards. The structure is probably the remains of the control shelter for the bombing decoy located about 275 metres to the south-west.
The structure appears to have lost much of its wartime earthwork embankment covering on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 2007, but is largely obscured by tree cover.

Pink, F., 2014-2015, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey Desk-Based Assessment (Interpretation). SDV357736.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV137138	Migrated Record: APH.
SDV137141	Migrated Record: Cresswell, B. F..
SDV137142	Migrated Record: Pye, A. + Woodward, F..
SDV137143	Aerial Photograph:
SDV137144	Migrated Record:
SDV137145	Worksheet: Clamp, A. L.. 1995. Bombing Decoy Shelter or Command Post. Defence of Britain Project. Worksheet + Digital.
SDV137147	Migrated Record:
SDV137148	Migrated Record:
SDV27236	Migrated Record: PLYMOUTH FORTRESS SURVEY.
SDV351060	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1945. RAF/106G/UK/967. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/106G/UK/967 V 4104-4105 01-NOV-1945. [Mapped feature: #94059 ]
SDV351146	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2013-2014. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV351226	Aerial Photograph: Channel Coast Observatory. 2001-2012. Channel Coast Observatory Aerial Photography. Channel Coast Observatory. Digital. Channel Coast Observatory SX5248 18-SEP-2012 © CCO.
SDV357485	Worksheet: Horner, W.. 1996. Wembury Bombing Decoy. Defence of Britain Project. Worksheet + Digital.
SDV357736	Interpretation: Pink, F.. 2014-2015. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey Desk-Based Assessment. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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