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Summary

Pillbox located close to the road visible on aerial photos. Now largely obscured by scrub and tree growth but appears to survive relatively extant. One of a group of four along a hedgeline on the east side of the B3172. Part of the Second World War Taunton Stop Line constructed in 1940.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1417464
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY29SE/242

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, LXXXIII Se & XCV NE (Cartographic). SDV325259.

Pillbox marked on Royal Engineer's plan as S.88.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1412, RAF/106G/UK/1412 RP 3324-3325 13-APR-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352504.

A five or six sided structure is visible.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974/4492 (Aerial Photograph). SDV362958.

Pillbox visible in hedgerow east of road on 1947 aerial photograph.

APH, 1970's, Aerial Photograph of the Axe Estuary (Aerial Photograph). SDV135587.

The pillbox is more clearly visible on a 1970 AP.

Wills, H., 1985, Wills, H. 1985 Pillboxes, 74 (Monograph). SDV336210.

Wills lists polygonal pillbox of mixed construction facing south-west at SY255904 (this may be the pillbox visible in hedgerow east of the road on RAF 1947 aerial photograph).

Cochrane, J. N., 1996, Pillbox Adjacent to B3172 (Worksheet). SDV356802.

Type 24, partially overgrown with brambles in line with SV.15, SV.16 and S.89.

Dobinson, C. S., 1998, The Taunton Stop Line. Component Listing, 5 (Report - non-specific). SDV109230.

Pillbox of type FW3/22 with 3ft 6in walls.

Channel Coast Observatory, 2001-2012, Channel Coast Observatory Aerial Photography, CCO SY2590_20120917ortho.ecw 17-SEP-2012 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351226.

the eastern edge of the structure is just visible under tree cover.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, Site No. 1249 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Pillbox visible on 1947 Aerial Photograph. May represent pillbox recorded on ground at SY 255 904. Part of Taunton Stop Line.
SMR.

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

A small flat roofed five or six sided building is visible as a structure on aerial photographs taken between 1946 and 2012. It is circa 5 by 6 metres in maximum dimensions and is likely to be a Second World War pillbox forming part of the Taunton Stop Line. It appears to survive although it was heavily obscured by scrub in 2012. It is depicted on modern mapping so has not been transcribed.

Ordnance Survey, 2019, MasterMap 2019 (Cartographic). SDV362729.

Structure depicted.

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. 5.
SDV135587	Aerial Photograph: APH. 1970's. Aerial Photograph of the Axe Estuary. Aerial Photograph (Large) of the Axe Estuary.
SDV325259	Cartographic: Royal Engineers. 1940. Plans of Taunton Stop Line. Royal Engineers Survey Plan circa July 1940. Unknown. LXXXIII Se & XCV NE.
SDV336210	Monograph: Wills, H.. 1985. Wills, H. 1985 Pillboxes. Pillboxes. Unknown. 74.
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. CCO SY2590_20120917ortho.ecw 17-SEP-2012.
SDV351568	Archive - Survey: Exeter Archaeology. 2003-2004. East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey. East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey. Digital + Mixed Archive Material. Site No. 1249.
SDV352504	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/106G/UK/1412. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/106G/UK/1412 RP 3324-3325 13-APR-1946.
SDV356802	Worksheet: Cochrane, J. N.. 1996. Pillbox Adjacent to B3172. Defence of Britain Project. Worksheet + Digital.
SDV362729	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2019. MasterMap 2019. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital. [Mapped feature: #94471 ]
SDV362958	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974/4492. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper).

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6127 - Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme (NMP) for South-West England - South Coast Devon (Ref: ACD618)

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