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Summary

The location of a Second World War searchlight battery at Avonwick. Structures and possible earthworks associated with this searchlight battery are visible on aerial photographs taken from 1946 onwards. A single upstanding structure remains visible on digital images derived from aerial photographs taken in 2018.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• SEARCHLIGHT BATTERY (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1890, Devon County Council RAF/CPE/UK/1890 1148-1149 10-DEC-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV169268.

Upstanding structures and possible earthworks, or surface vegetation marks, are visible.

Royal Air Force, 1951, RAF/540/483, RAF/540/483 RP 3434-3435 24-APR-1951 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352103.

Structures of three upstanding huts and a hut base are visible.

Dobinson, C. S., 2000, Searchlight sites in WWII, 36 (Report - non-specific). SDV323811.

Site of WWII Searchlight at Avonwick. Manned by 382 SL Bty.

Google, 2019, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 22-JUN-2018 ACCESSED 17-JUN-2020 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363088.

Structures of a single upstanding hut and two huts bases are visible.

Google, 2019, Google Earth Pro, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM XX-XXX-1999 ACCESSED 17-JUN-2020 (Aerial Photograph). SDV363088.

Structures of two upstanding huts and a hut base are visible.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2019-2020, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (AI&M, formerly NMP) (Interpretation). SDV362982.

Three curved roofed structures of probable Nissen huts, circa 10m long, a rectangular structure of a removed hut and a possible small structure, circa 3.5m long, are visible within the northern corner of an agricultural field on aerial photographs taken in 1946. Two possible earthwork features, or surface vegetation marks, are also visible to the northeast and south of the structures. They are interpreted as probably being associated with a Second World War searchlight battery at Avonwick. Structures of the three Nissen huts and hut base remain visible on aerial photographs taken in 1951, although by 1999 the northern of these three huts has been demolished. By 2018, only a single structure, albeit partly demolished, is extant, with hut bases of the two former structures still visible. These are also depicted as features on the 2020 Ordnance Survey Mastermap.

Ordnance Survey, 2020, MasterMap 2020 (Cartographic). SDV363413.

Three rectangular features are shown in this location.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8098 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey, Area 2, Avon Valley to Plymouth (Ref: ACD2040)

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