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Summary

Concrete railblocks by the iron railway bridge over the river Axe. Small structures are visible on aerial photographs taken in 1947. Part of the Wadbrook defence area on the Second World War Taunton Stop Line constructed in 1940.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1417426
• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST30SW/166/1

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• RAILBLOCK (Constructed, World War II - 1940 AD to 1940 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, 4322 (Aerial Photograph). SDV110669.

Concrete rail-block visible on RAF 1947 aerial photo.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1975, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 FP 1117-1118 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359646.

Small structures are visible either side of the railway line.

Horner, B., 1994, Taunton Stop Line Survey (Personal Comment). SDV360458.

Details of defences visible on RAF 1948 aerial photos. Location plan in HER.

Dangerfield, M. E. + Dangerfield, J., 1997, Railblock (Worksheet). SDV357566.

Concrete railblocks by iron railway bridge over river.

Dobinson, C. S., 1998, The Taunton Stop Line. Component Listing, 14 (Report - non-specific). SDV109230.

Railblock S.Rl.26, bridge over river Axe at Wadbrook.

Foot, W., 2006, Defence Areas. A National Study of Second World War Anti-Invasion Landscapes in England, DA04-Wadbrook-S0001320 (Report - Survey). SDV360266.

Wadbrook defence area. Railblock. Concrete railblocks by iron railway bridge over river. In good condition. An aerial photo of 1940 shows the railblock under construction.

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

At least three small pale structures, less than 2 metres wide and located on both sides of the railway line next to the bridge over the river, are visible on aerial photographs taken in 1947. They are very likely to be remains of the Second World War roadblock marked on Royal Engineers plans for the 1940 Taunton Stop Line. They are not clearly visible due to their small size and the transcriptions are only made of the clearest features. Previously recorded as a point at ST32250193.

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. 14.
SDV110669	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 4322.
SDV357566	Worksheet: Dangerfield, M. E. + Dangerfield, J.. 1997. Railblock. 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
SDV359646	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1975. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1975 FP 1117-1118 11-APR-1947. [Mapped feature: #94496 ]
SDV360266	Report - Survey: Foot, W.. 2006. Defence Areas. A National Study of Second World War Anti-Invasion Landscapes in England. Council for British Archaeology/English Heritage. Digital. DA04-Wadbrook-S0001320.
SDV360458	Personal Comment: Horner, B.. 1994. Taunton Stop Line Survey. Not Applicable.

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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