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Summary

A radar station of Second World War date is visible as a range of structures and earthwork pits and banks on aerial photographs of 1943 onwards at Start Point. Very little now survives on the ground.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1413155
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX83NW/30

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• RADAR STATION (World War II - 1939 AD (Between) to 1945 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1941, RAF/S437, RAF/S437 V 05 24-AUG-1941 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351057.

The radar station at Start Point has not yet been constructed.

United States Airforce, 1943, US/7PH/GP/LOC133, US/7PH/GP/LOC133 FV 7013-14 30-DEC-1943 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351450.

The radar station at Start Point is visible as a range of structures and earthwork pits and banks.

Royal Air Force, 1945, RAF/106G/UK/967, RAF/106G/UK/967 P 3036-37 01-NOV-1945 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351060.

The radar station at Start Point is visible as a range of structures and earthwork pits and banks.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, 2005; HER 62/54 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF 230/CAL/UK/5, NMR SX 8236/2 RAF SO-0089 15-AUG-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351455.

The radar station at Start Point is visible as a range of structures and earthwork pits and banks.

Royal Air Force, 1960, RAF/543/1017, NMR SX 8237/21 RAF PSF0--0215 10-AUG-1960 (Aerial Photograph). SDV349659.

The former radar station at Start Point is visible as a range of demolished structures and earthwork pits and banks.

Ordnance Survey, 1983, OS/83125, OS/83125 V 172-73 04-JUL-1983 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351064.

The site of the former radar station has been levelled.

Aerofilms, 1992, The South Devon Coast Path, 100 (Monograph). SDV151884.

Not recorded on 1992 Aerofilms aerial photo.

Horner, W., 1996, Start Point Radar Station (Worksheet). SDV151886.

Radar station visible on Royal Air Force 1946 aerial photo to west of Start Point. Includes hutting, transformer compound, double wire perimeter fence and single aerial mast. Extent plotted on map overlay. Possibly a Chain Home Low radar site.

Jury, R, 1997, Start Point (Worksheet). SDV366082.

Site visit 1st November 1997. Remains of a wartime site, possibly a mobile radar or a radio or navigational site. All that can be seen on the site is a concrete track, a pile of rubble where a building once stood and a possible filled in trench/bunker. A metal guyrope was found.

Dobinson, C. S., 2000, Acoustics and radar, 169 + 172 (Report - non-specific). SDV325097.

Dobinson records a Coast Defence Chain Home Low (M - Series) station M84 Start Point at SX824370 but this was a temporary or undeveloped station (12 April 1941. There is also reference to a Chain Home Extra Low (K - Series) station, K166 Start Point at SX821369 (15 July 1942).

Simpson, J., 2002, Start Point (Ground Photograph). SDV151889.

Site visit 10th April 2002. A partial concrete road and two concrete posts are all that remain of this site.

Marshall, A., 2011, Untitled Source (Personal Comment). SDV347063.

Site visit by Farm Environmental Plan (FEP) surveyor in February 2011. According to the farmer, the remains of the former RAF radar site were cleared in the 1950s by being blown up and pushed into the sea. This location is apparently that of a second structure built by the Americans. Nothing remains of either site.

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

A radar station of Second World War date is visible as a range of structures and earthwork pits and banks on aerial photographs of 1943 onwards at Start Point. The radar station covers an area of approximately 4.5 hectares and its extent is defined by a double skin of barbed-wire entanglements, with a field boundary forming its northeast side and main entrance and possible administrative/guardhouse hut to the north. The inside edge of the barbed-wire entanglements are marked by a series of sub-circular gun pits visible as earthwork pits and banks. A single receiver mast and associated structure are visible to the northeast, with a possible receiver block positioned further to the south. A cluster of six nissen huts and a range of smaller structures and earthwork banks of unknown function are also present. The radar station is first visible as a range of structures and earthwork pits and banks on aerial photographs of 1943 and continued in use to at least 1947, after which the station was disbanded. Aerial photographs of 1960 show the site of the former radar station as comprising a range of demolished structures which have been completely levelled by 1983.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV151884	Monograph: Aerofilms. 1992. The South Devon Coast Path. The South Devon Coast Path. Unknown. 100.
SDV151886	Worksheet: Horner, W.. 1996. Start Point Radar Station. Defence of Britain Project. Worksheet + Digital.
SDV151889	Ground Photograph: Simpson, J.. 2002. Start Point. Photograph (Paper).
SDV169268	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1890. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 2005; HER 62/54.
SDV325097	Report - non-specific: Dobinson, C. S.. 2000. Acoustics and radar. Twentieth Century Fortifications in England. VII. A4 Stapled + Digital. 169 + 172.
SDV347063	Personal Comment: Marshall, A.. 2011. Not Applicable.
SDV349659	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1960. RAF/543/1017. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR SX 8237/21 RAF PSF0--0215 10-AUG-1960.
SDV351057	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1941. RAF/S437. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/S437 V 05 24-AUG-1941.
SDV351060	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1945. RAF/106G/UK/967. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/106G/UK/967 P 3036-37 01-NOV-1945. [Mapped feature: #95081 ]
SDV351064	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1983. OS/83125. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/83125 V 172-73 04-JUL-1983.
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
SDV351450	Aerial Photograph: United States Airforce. 1943. US/7PH/GP/LOC133. United States Airforce. Photograph (Paper). US/7PH/GP/LOC133 FV 7013-14 30-DEC-1943.
SDV351455	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF 230/CAL/UK/5. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). NMR SX 8236/2 RAF SO-0089 15-AUG-1947.
SDV366082	Worksheet: Jury, R. 1997. Start Point. Defence of Britain Project. A4 Stapled + Digital.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

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)

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