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Summary

A complex of former military huts which housed a United States Army hospital in the Second World War, followed by a Polish resettlement facility established in 1948. Most of the site has been demolished by 2010, although several structures are extant in 2018.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1413096
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX87SW/258

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• HOSPITAL (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD (Between))
• DISPLACED PERSONS CAMP (Mid 20th Century to Late 20th Century - 1948 AD to 1992 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1824, RAF/CPE/UK/1824 RS 4155-56 04-NOV-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352344.

A complex of structures is visible.

Ordnance Survey, 1953 - 1969, Ordnance Survey Six Inch Map (Cartographic). SDV340358.

'Polish Hostel (National Assistance Board)' shown to north of Stover Golf Course.

Fairy Surveys Ltd, 1964, FSL/6412 V, FSL/6412 V 2063-64 07-FEB-1964 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357115.

The former hospital remains largely unchanged.

Ordnance Survey, 1983, OS/83101, OS/83101 V 016-17 12-JUN-1983 (Aerial Photograph). SDV361832.

Several structures to the west have been removed, although the former hospital site remains largely unchanged.

Griffith, F. M., 1995, DAP/YO, 10-11 (Aerial Photograph). SDV156001.

Jury, R., 1996, Stover Camp (Ilford Park) (Worksheet). SDV291996.

Site visited on 9th January 1996. Purpose built as hospital for United States army in 1943. Intended to receive D-Day casualties, with any overflow to go to Denbury Camp. Post war use as hostel for Polish displaced persons who remain to this day in rebuilt accommodation. Remaining wartime buildings are derelict.

Environment Agency, 1998-2017, LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor, LIDAR SX8274; SX8374 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017 (Cartographic). SDV361470.

Raised areas of the former huts is visible.

Passmore, A. + Passmore, M., 2010, Ilford Park Polish Home, Stover, Newton Abbot (Leaflet). SDV345300.

A complex of former military huts which housed a United States Army hospital in the Second World War, followed by a Polish resettlement facility established in 1948. Conditions were somewhat primitive, and in 1992 a new residential care and nursing home was built at the west end of the site, alongside the hutted settlement. In 2009 the remains of about sixty structures were still standing, including former accommodation blocks, staff quarters, medical facilities, stores, a church and a shop. The area is overgrown and the buildings are in a state of disrepair, having been neglected and vandalised. There are plans to develop the the site and demolition of the abandoned structures was in progress in late 2009.

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

Google, 2017, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 22-JUN-2018 ACCESSED 12-NOV-2018 (Aerial Photograph). SDV360456.

Several original structures are extant.

Google, 2017, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM XX-XXX-1999 ACCESSED 12-NOV-2018 (Aerial Photograph). SDV360456.

A new range of structures has been built to the west, with the remaining structures to the east in apparent disuse.

Google, 2017, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM XX-XXX-2010 ACCESSED 12-NOV-2018 (Aerial Photograph). SDV360456.

Most of the original structures have been demolished, exposing hut bases.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2018-2019, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 1, Haldon Ridge to Dart Valley (AI&M) (Interpretation). SDV361305.

A complex of structures associated with the Second World War United States hospital and later Polish resettlement facility of Ilford Park, Newton Abbot, is visible on aerial photographs taken from 1946 onwards. The former hospital occupies an area of circa 14 hectares and comprises a number of pitched roof structures connected by covered walkways and a network of pathways, with main access road off the A382 which defines the southern edge of the site. A sewage works which is likely associated with the hospital is situated circa 220m to the east and has been recorded as a separate monument (MDV123381). The site remains largely unchanged on aerial photographs taken in 1964 and up until 1983, although several structures to the west have been removed. Digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 1999 show a new range of buildings of the resettlement facility has been constructed to the west, with the remaining wartime structures elsewhere in apparent abandonment. Most of these structures have been demolished by 2010, although several structures still remain extant in 2018. Lidar images of between 1998 and 2017 show a number of raised areas are visible which coincide with the former huts and are interpreted as concrete foundation bases. In accordance with standard NMP methodology, only those features not depicted on modern digital mapping were transcribed during this survey. The original layout of the main access road and tracks are for example largely shown on the Ordnance Survey 2018 Mastermap and so have not been mapped, except where they intersect with previously unrecorded elements.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV156001	Aerial Photograph: Griffith, F. M.. 1995. DAP/YO. Devon Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 10-11.
SDV291996	Worksheet: Jury, R.. 1996. Stover Camp (Ilford Park). Defence of Britain Project. Worksheet + Digital.
SDV340358	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1953 - 1969. Ordnance Survey Six Inch Map. National Grid A edition imperial. Map (Digital).
SDV344030	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2010. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey. Map (Digital).
SDV345300	Leaflet: Passmore, A. + Passmore, M.. 2010. Ilford Park Polish Home, Stover, Newton Abbot. A Brief Introduction to Twentieth Century Military and Civil Defence Archae. 12. A4 Folded.
SDV352344	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1824. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1824 RS 4155-56 04-NOV-1946. [Mapped feature: #114050 ]
SDV357115	Aerial Photograph: Fairy Surveys Ltd. 1964. FSL/6412 V. Fairy Surveys Ltd aerial photograph. Photograph (Paper). FSL/6412 V 2063-64 07-FEB-1964.
SDV360456	Aerial Photograph: Google. 2017. Google Earth Pro. Various. Digital. EARTH.GOOGLE.COM XX-XXX-1999 ACCESSED 12-NOV-2018.
SDV361305	Interpretation: Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R.. 2018-2019. The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 1, Haldon Ridge to Dart Valley (AI&M). Historic England Research Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV361470	Cartographic: Environment Agency. 1998-2017. LiDAR DTM data (1m resolution) EA: South Devon Coast to Dartmoor. Environment Agency LiDAR data. Digital. LIDAR SX8274; SX8374 Environment Agency DTM 01-JAN-1998 to 31-MAY-2017.
SDV361832	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1983. OS/83101. Ordnance Survey Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). OS/83101 V 016-17 12-JUN-1983.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4916 - Site Visit to Ilford Park Polish Home
• EDV7515 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey: Haldon Ridge to Dart Valley (Ref: ACD1748)

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