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Summary

A concentration of earthwork pit and banked features of Second World War date are visible on aerial photographs taken from 1946 onwards and on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2016.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY08NW/163

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BOMB CRATER (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD (Between))
• WEAPONS PIT (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1412, RAF/106G/UK/1412 3171-73 13-APR-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352504.

The probable shell craters and weapons pits are visible. Map object based on this source.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1412, RAF/106G/UK/1412 RS 4159-60 13-APR-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352504.

The probable shell craters and weapons pits are visible. Map object based on this source.

Ordnance Survey, 1996, OS/96568, OS/96568 041-42 08-MAY-1996 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356242.

A number of earthwork pits are visible.

Exeter Archaeology, 1999, Archaeological Assessment of Thorn Tree Plantation, near Blackhill Quarry, Woodbury (Report - Assessment). SDV336320.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, 10, Part 1; Part 2: Gazetteer, 3, Site No. 11 (Report - Survey). SDV101648.

Five trenches and one crater, probably World War Two or later Marines activity, located in area of dense gorse/grasses; there may well be other features obscured by the vegetation in this area. At grid reference SY 0334286130 trench circa 2 metres by 1 metre by 0.4 metre deep. At grid reference SY 0334286136 trench circa 2 metres square x 0.5 metre deep, very overgrown. At grid reference SY 0339186067 trench circa 1 metre by 1.5 metres by 0.4 metre deep. At grid reference SY 0339986181 trench circa 2 metres by 1 metre by 0.5 metre deep. At grid reference SY 0340386036 sub-circular feature circa 4 metres by 4 metres by 1.5 metres deep. Looks like shell crater, although base appears to be square-cut. ?Reused crater.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, Site No. 11 (Archive - Survey). SDV358490.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, Site No. 11 (Report - Survey). SDV359019.

Exeter Archaeology, 2007, East Devon Access Land Archaeological Survey 2007, 29, Site No. H11 (Archive - Survey). SDV351571.

Five trenches and one crater, probably World War Two or later marines activity, located in area of dense gorse/grass; there may well be other features obscured by vegetation in this area. At SY 0334286130 is a trench circa 2 metres by 1 metre by 0.4 metre deep. At SY 0334286136 is a trench circa 2 metres square by 0.5 metre deep, very overgrown. At SY 0339186067 is a trench circa 1 metre by 1.5 metre by 0.4 metre deep. At SY 0339986181 is a trench circa 2 metres by 1 metre by 0.5 metre deep. At SY 0340386036 is a sub circular feature circa 4 metres by 4 metres by 1.5 metres deep. Looks like a shell crater, although base appears to be square cut. Possible reused crater. Area under dense gorse. Several major track ways pass through this area but features in the gorse to either side of the tracks are under no threat from foot traffic. Be aware of features during vegetation clearance and avoid damage to them. Possible interpretation as part of World War Two features in the area.

Exeter Archaeology, 2008, East Devon Access Land Archaeological Survey 2007, 3 and 4, Site No. H11 (Report - Survey). SDV351570.

Features with World War Two training include trenches. Bomb crater.

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

A concentration of earthwork pit and banked features of Second World War date are visible on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards, on Bicton Common. The earthworks are dispersed across an area of approximately 9.70 hectares of military training ground on the northwest side of Dalditch camp. The earthworks are dominated by concentrations of small circular to irregular shaped pits typically between 2 to 3.5m in length/diameter. Two larger earthwork pits with outer banks up to 10m in length are also visible to the north. The earthworks likely represent a combination of artillery shell craters and weapons pits associated with Dalditch camp. Other concentrations of similar such earthwork features are visible across Woodbury and Bicton Common. A number of the larger earthworks are visible as pits on aerial photographs of 1996, although it is likely that many more survive but are obscured by vegetation cover.

Bluesky International, 2016, LiDAR DTM data (0.5m resolution) Blackdown Hills and East Devon AONBs: 3 transects, LIDAR SY0385 Bluesky International DTM 24-APR-2016 (Cartographic). SDV359714.

Numerous sub-circular earthwork pits are visible.

Sims, R., 2020, East Devon AONB Lidar Assessment and Desk based Assessment (Interpretation). SDV363914.

Numerous small sub-circular earthwork pits, circa 2.5m diameter, are visible on visualisations derived from lidar data captured in 2016. They are interpreted as possible Second World War weapons pits and/or bomb craters or shell craters. They are centred around SY03488574, although are also present further to the north.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV101648	Report - Survey: Exeter Archaeology. 2003. East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey. Exeter Archaeology Report. 03.26. A4 Unbound + Digital. 10, Part 1; Part 2: Gazetteer, 3, Site No. 11.
SDV336320	Report - Assessment: Exeter Archaeology. 1999. Archaeological Assessment of Thorn Tree Plantation, near Blackhill Quarry, Woodbury. Exeter Archaeology Report. 99.71. A4 Stapled + Digital.
SDV351570	Report - Survey: Exeter Archaeology. 2008. East Devon Access Land Archaeological Survey 2007. Exeter Archaeology Report. A4 Stapled + Digital. 3 and 4, Site No. H11.
SDV351571	Archive - Survey: Exeter Archaeology. 2007. East Devon Access Land Archaeological Survey 2007. East Devon Access Land Archaeological Survey 2007. Mixed Archive Material + Digital. 29, Site No. H11.
SDV352504	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/106G/UK/1412. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/106G/UK/1412 RS 4159-60 13-APR-1946.
SDV356242	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1996. OS/96568. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/96568 041-42 08-MAY-1996.
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
SDV358490	Archive - Survey: Exeter Archaeology. 2003. East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey. East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey. Mixed Archive Material. Site No. 11.
SDV359019	Report - Survey: Exeter Archaeology. 2003. East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey. Exeter Archaeology Report. 03.26. Site No. 11.
SDV359714	Cartographic: Bluesky International. 2016. LiDAR DTM data (0.5m resolution) Blackdown Hills and East Devon AONBs: 3 transects. Not applicable. Digital. LIDAR SY0385 Bluesky International DTM 24-APR-2016.
SDV363914	Interpretation: Sims, R.. 2020. East Devon AONB Lidar Assessment and Desk based Assessment. Digital.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6530 - The East and Mid-Devon Rivers Catchment NMP project (Ref: ACD613)
• EDV8340 - East Devon AONB Lidar Assessment and Desk based Assessment

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