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Summary

Second World War pillbox on cliff top. Visible as a structure on aerial photographs from 1946. Now very overgrown.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1417499
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX86SE/154
• Torbay HER: MTO55644

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PILLBOX (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/3G/TUD/UK/223, RAF/3G/TUD/UK223 5097-5098 12-JUL-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352279.

The shadow of a possible structure is visible, although indistinct.

RAF, 1949, RAF/58/209 Vp2, RAF/58/209 5063-5064 15-APR-1949 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352287.

A possible structure is indistinctly visible.

Jury, R, 1996, Defence of Britain Worksheet (Worksheet). SDV316558.

Site visit 13th April 1996. Concrete and brick pillbox on cliff top. Currently turf-capped.

Ford, M., 1998, Southern Defence Coastal Pillbox (Worksheet). SDV362268.

Site visit 7th February 1998. A cliff top pillbox of concrete, sandstone and brick. The entrance is bricked up. At risk from cliff erosion and being undermined by the sea.
Other details: Sketch with dimensions on record sheet; photo

Fiorato, V.J., 1999, Hollacombe South Pillbox (Worksheet). SDV362140.

Site visit 7th July 1999. Pillbox was visible both from Hollacombe Beach and from the footpath east of the railway line; though very heavily overgrown - considerably more so than when recorded by the Defence of Britain Project in February 1988. It could not be measured.

Fiorato, V.J., 1999, Hollacombe South Pillbox (Ground Photograph). SDV362141.

Channel Coast Observatory, 2001-2012, Channel Coast Observatory Aerial Photography, Channel Coastal Observatory SX8962_20120918ortho.ecw 18-SEP-2012 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351226.

Part of a structure is visible, although partially obscured by scrub.

Foot, W., 2005, Defence Areas. A National Study of Second World War Anti-Invasion Landscapes in England, DA64 - S0001395, Fig. 7 (Report - Survey). SDV360266.

Site visit 22nd January 2003. Stone-faced square or rectangular pillbox at top of cliff overlooking the beach below. It is so overgrown that it can hardly be seen and its exact form cannot be determined. Considered to be in fair condition although overgrown. The sea is undermining the base of the cliff.

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

This 1940-1941 Second World War pillbox recorded as part of the Defence of Britain Project is visible as a structure on aerial photographs between 1949 and 2012. It is extremely indistinct in many of the photographs and it was not possible to transcribe it from the 1940s photographs. In 2012 it appears to be partially obscured by scrub, so its easternmost extent is uncertain; the visible extent has been mapped and measures approximately 2.5 by 1.5 metres. It was recorded as in reasonable condition on a site visit in 1998, of brick and reinforced concrete with three embrasures, and substantial remains are likely to survive.

Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC, 2015-2017, 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV361462.

Overgrown structure visible.

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

Structure marked.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV316558	Worksheet: Jury, R. 1996. Defence of Britain Worksheet. Defence of Britain Project. Worksheet.
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. Channel Coastal Observatory SX8962_20120918ortho.ecw 18-SEP-2012.
SDV352279	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/3G/TUD/UK/223. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/3G/TUD/UK223 5097-5098 12-JUL-1946.
SDV352287	Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1949. RAF/58/209 Vp2. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Print. RAF/58/209 5063-5064 15-APR-1949.
SDV360266	Report - Survey: Foot, W.. 2005. Defence Areas. A National Study of Second World War Anti-Invasion Landscapes in England. Council for British Archaeology/English Heritage. Digital. DA64 - S0001395, Fig. 7.
SDV361462	Aerial Photograph: Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC. 2015-2017. 2015-2017 Aerial Photographs. Bluesky International Ltd/Getmapping PLC. Photograph (Digital).
SDV362140	Worksheet: Fiorato, V.J.. 1999. Hollacombe South Pillbox. . Worksheet.
SDV362141	Ground Photograph: Fiorato, V.J.. 1999. Hollacombe South Pillbox. Slide.
SDV362268	Worksheet: Ford, M.. 1998. Southern Defence Coastal Pillbox. Defence of Britain Project. Worksheet + Digital.
SDV362729	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2019. MasterMap 2019. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital. [Mapped feature: #119608 ]

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)
• EDV7667 - Defence of Britain site visits by M. J. Ford to World War II Monuments
• EDV7779 - World War II sites in Torbay
• EDV7670 - Defence of Britain site visits

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