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Summary

A roadblock is marked on Royal Engineers plans for the 1940 Taunton Stop Line by the road junction on the north side of Weycroft Bridge. Two small pale structures, one either side of the road on the west end of the railway bridge at Weycroft, are visible on aerial photographs taken in 1947. If these represent the roadblock then it was established some 100 metres further up the road than originally planned. The roadblock was probably removed soon after the war ended. The roadblock was part of the Weycroft defence area on the Taunton Stop Line constructed in 1940.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ROADBLOCK (World War II - 1940 AD to 1940 AD)

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

The road and bridge is depicted.

Royal Engineers, 1940, Plans of Taunton Stop Line, Axminster Union & RD (Cartographic). SDV325259.

Roadblock S.Rd.54 recorded on Royal Engineer's plans.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FP 3423-3424 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

Two small pale structures are visible, one each side of the road.

Horner, B., 1997, Taunton Stop Line Survey Site Visit (Site Visit). SDV360634.

Site visit 28th April 1997. No trace of road block.

Dobinson, C. S., 1998, The Taunton Stop Line. Component Listing, 13 (Report - non-specific). SDV109230.

Roadblock S.Rd.54 at Weycroft. Priority 'B' with 12 tetrahedra and 20 mines.

Foot, W., 2005, Defence Areas. A National Study of Second World War Anti-Invasion Landscapes in England, DA03-Weycroft-S0016274 (Report - Survey). SDV360266.

Weycroft defence area. Roadblock S.Rd.54 with 12 tetrahedra and 12 mines. Site destroyed.

Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2016-2018, The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV359463.

Two small pale structures, one either side of the road on the west end of the railway bridge at Weycroft, are visible on aerial photographs taken in 1947. They are very likely to be remains of the Second World War roadblock marked on Royal Engineers plans for the 1940 Taunton Stop Line. They were not visible on later available aerial imagery and appear to have been removed soon after the end of the war. Previously plotted as a point at ST3070000040.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV109230	Report - non-specific: Dobinson, C. S.. 1998. The Taunton Stop Line. Component Listing. Twentieth Century Fortifications in England. AI/S/3. Photocopy. 13.
SDV325259	Cartographic: Royal Engineers. 1940. Plans of Taunton Stop Line. Royal Engineers Survey Plan circa July 1940. Unknown. Axminster Union & RD.
SDV325644	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 1904 - 1906. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map. Map (Digital).
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 FP 3423-3424 11-APR-1947. [Mapped feature: #99923 ]
SDV359463	Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2016-2018. The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme Project. Historic England Research Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:2
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. DA03-Weycroft-S0016274.
SDV360634	Site Visit: Horner, B.. 1997. Taunton Stop Line Survey Site Visit. Not Applicable.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV7508 - The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Ref: ACD1228)

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