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Summary

A military camp of Second World War date is visible as a series of structures, earthworks and vegetation marks on aerial photographs of 1944 onwards, to the northeast of Bishop’s Court.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1413109
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX99SE/170

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

APH, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV135453.

Raf 1947 ap records military buildings arranged around rectangular track layout in grounds of bishop's court house. Also there are grass marks of what appears to have been an extensive camp of (?) bell tents and associated paths (aph).

Untitled Source (Aerial Photograph). SDV135454.

Aph=raf/cpe/uk/1974/2458/(11/04/1947).

United States Airforce, 1944, US/7PH/GP/LOC252, US/7PH/GP/LOC252 RP 3014-15 20-MAR-1944 (Aerial Photograph). SDV358580.

The military camp is visible as a series of structures and probable tents.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1412, RAF/106G/UK/1412 RS 4374-75 13-APR-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352504.

The military camp is visible as a series of structures, earthworks and vegetation marks.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2457-58 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

All the structures have been demolished, although the platform bases of these former structures and vegetation marks of the tents are visible.

Royal Air Force, 1957, RAF/58/2113, RAF/58/2113 F22 67-68 20-FEB-1957 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356133.

No further traces of the former camp are visible.

Debois Landscape Survey Group, 2007, Bishops Court, Devon. Landscape Survey and Management Plan, 5, Appendix 1: BC50X (Report - non-specific). SDV349911.

The 'barracks' lie largely outside the present park boundary. It appears on an aerial photograph taken in June 1947 as a collection of temporary buildings, tracks and other grass marks. However, a military connection has yet to be established. It could represent a temporary camp or perhaps the site of an agricultural/horticultural show. No traces are visible in the field.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2014-2015, East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV356883.

A military camp of Second World War date is visible as a series of structures, tents earthworks and vegetation marks on aerial photographs of 1944 onwards, to the northeast of Bishop’s Court. The camp occupies an area of approximately 6.77 hectares of parkland associated with Bishop’s Court and is accessed from two trackways which lead off from Bishop’s Court Lane to the east. The site is characterised by a concentration of seventeen nissen huts which are encompassed by a broadly rectangular shaped trackway, with additional nissen huts dispersed beyond this. Within this arrangement of nissen huts is a probable slit trench or gun pit visible as an earthwork bank and ditched feature. To the north, south and west of the site are a dense concentration of square shaped vegetation marks suggestive of bell tents, approximately 4.5m by 4.5m in size, although only the more well-defined of these were transcribed as part of this survey. The tents appear visible on aerial photographs of 1944 only. Other areas of flattened vegetation were also visible off the main access tracks and may have been used as parade and/or training grounds for the military troops. Possible slit trenches were also visible as earthwork pit and banked features to the far northwest of the site, although these were poorly defined. By 1947, all structures of the former camp have been demolished, although the platform bases of these buildings remain visible, as are the vegetation marks of the former tents. There are no visible traces of the former camp by 1957, although below ground remains may still survive.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV135453	Migrated Record: APH.
SDV135454	Aerial Photograph:
SDV349911	Report - non-specific: Debois Landscape Survey Group. 2007. Bishops Court, Devon. Landscape Survey and Management Plan. Debois Landscape Survey Group Report. A4 Comb Bound + Digital. 5, Appendix 1: BC50X.
SDV352504	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/106G/UK/1412. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/106G/UK/1412 RS 4374-75 13-APR-1946. [Mapped feature: #94513 ]
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FS 2457-58 11-APR-1947.
SDV356133	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1957. RAF/58/2113. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/58/2113 F22 67-68 20-FEB-1957.
SDV356883	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2014-2015. East and Mid Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV358580	Aerial Photograph: United States Airforce. 1944. US/7PH/GP/LOC252. United States Airforce. Photograph (Paper). US/7PH/GP/LOC252 RP 3014-15 20-MAR-1944.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6530 - The East and Mid-Devon Rivers Catchment NMP project (Ref: ACD613)
• EDV5959 - Archaeological Survey, Bishops Court, Devon

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