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Summary

Vickers machine gun type pillbox visible on aerial photos. Now partly 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: 1417459
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY29SE/247

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• VICKERS MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENT (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.V.15.

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

A small flat roofed structure is visible.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, 4492 (Aerial Photograph). SDV110669.

Rectangular pillbox visible just to south of hedge.

APH, 1970-1979, Aerial Photograph of the Axe Estuary (Aerial Photograph). SDV135587.

Pillbox visible.

Wills, H., 1985, Pillboxes. A Study of UK Defences 1940, 74 (Monograph). SDV336210.

Wills records one of two south-west facing rectangular pillboxes at SY256905.

Horner, B., 1995, Pillboxes at Axmouth (Site Visit). SDV362779.

Site visit 24th September 1995. Rectangular Type 28 heavy machine gun pillbox with blast wall covering side door visible from tramway on other side of river. Faces south-west down the Axe estuary, at slightly different angle to the pillbox which is about 15 metres upslope of it. Photograph (slide) taken.

Cochrane, J. N., 1996, Pillbox East of B3172 (Worksheet). SDV356917.

Pillbox in field on east side of B3172. Square heavy machine gun type with large aperture and brick lined interior. Partly recessed in ground.

Dobinson, C. S., 1998, The Taunton Stop Line. Component Listing, 7 (Report - non-specific). SDV109230.

Vickers machine gun pillbox of type FW3/27.

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

A small flat roofed structure is visible.

Council for British Archaeology, 2002/2006, Vickers machine gun emplacement (Website). SDV366255.

Site visits 1989, 1995, 1996. Vickers heavy machine gun pillbox which faces south-west across the Axe estuary. Dug into the hillside. Built of reinforced concrete with a brick-lined interior and a large embrasure. One of a pair at this location. In good condition.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, Site No. 1248 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Pillbox visible on 1947 Aerial Photograph. May represent pillbox recorded on ground at SY 256 905. Part of Taunton Stop Line.
SMR.

THE DEVONSHIRE ASSOCIATION, 2008, WWII Pill Boxes in the Axe Valley, Table 1 (Report - Survey). SDV347565.

S.V.15 was a Type 27.

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 building is visible as a structure on aerial photographs taken between 1946 and 2012. It is circa 4 metres square and is likely to be a Second World War pillbox forming part of the Taunton Stop Line. It appears to survive relatively clear of scrub in 2012. It is depicted on modern mapping so has not been transcribed.

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

Structure shown.

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. 7.
SDV110669	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 4492.
SDV135587	Aerial Photograph: APH. 1970-1979. Aerial Photograph of the Axe Estuary. Aerial Photograph (Large) of the Axe Estuary. Photograph (Paper).
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. Pillboxes. A Study of UK Defences 1940. Pillboxes. Hardback Volume. 74.
SDV347565	Report - Survey: THE DEVONSHIRE ASSOCIATION. 2008. WWII Pill Boxes in the Axe Valley. Devonshire Association. Digital + A4. Table 1.
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. 1248.
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.
SDV356917	Worksheet: Cochrane, J. N.. 1996. Pillbox East of B3172. Defence of Britain Project. Worksheet + Digital.
SDV362729	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2019. MasterMap 2019. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital. [Mapped feature: #95056 ]
SDV362779	Site Visit: Horner, B.. 1995. Pillboxes at Axmouth. Digital.
SDV366255	Website: Council for British Archaeology. 2002/2006. Vickers machine gun emplacement. https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/dob/index.cfm. Website.

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)
• EDV5167 - Survey of Pillboxes in the Axe Valley

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