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Summary

Treasbeare Farm Battle Headquarters associated with the RAF Exeter to the immediate south is visible as a range of structures and earthwork pit and banked features on aerial photographs of 1944 onwards. Several structures are extant on the Ordnance Survey 2015 MasterMap.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1141434: TREASBEARE FARMHOUSE
• SHINE: Military structures; earthworks and archaeological remains of World War II, RAF Exeter and post medieval catchmeadows and orchard banks on footprint of modern Exeter Airport and to the east

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1428029
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• BARBED WIRE ENTANGLEMENT (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• BARRACKS (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• WEAPONS PIT (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• BATTLE HEADQUARTERS (World War II - 1942 AD to 1945 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1944, RAF/NLA/80, RAF/NLA/80 RP 3035-36 24-MAR-1944 (Aerial Photograph). SDV358954.

The battle headquarters is visible as a range of structures and earthwork features. Map object based on this source.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1412, RAF/106G/UK/1412 RP 3066-67 13-APR-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352504.

The battle headquarters is visible as a range of structures and earthwork features. Map object based on this source.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1412, RAF/106G/UK/1412 RP 3067-68 13-APR-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352504.

The battle headquarters is visible as a range of structures and earthwork features, although the barbed wire entanglements appear to have been levelled. Map object based on this source.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RP 3459 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

The battle headquarters is visible as a range of structures and earthwork features. Map object based on this source.

Royal Air Force, 1963, RAF/543/2332, RAF/543/2332 2F21 022-23 26-JUL-1963 (Aerial Photograph). SDV354847.

The majority of the nissen huts and other structures to the west of the site have been demolished, although several remain extant. The earthwork pit and banked features to the east have been levelled.

Francis, P., 1999, Exeter Airport. Historic Airport Survey for Devon County Council & East Devon District Council (Report - non-specific). SDV323390.

With Treasbeare Farm as the main central strong point for station defence, a battle headquarters for co-ordinating airfield defences was built (circa 1942) on the edge of a small wooded copse just north of the farm buildings. The battle Headquarters was roughly located in the centre of the protected enclosure, the perimeter of which was defined by two or three rows of barbed wire. From 7th Septemner 1942, this area became the home of 2791 Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment when it took responsibility for aerodrome defence from the 9 Buffs.
Extant in May 1999. Other details: 58.

Gater, J., 2014, Cranbrook Exeter, Tresbeare and Bluehayes: Geophysical Survey (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV365632.

The work forms part of a wider archaeological assessment being carried out by BSA Heritage on behalf of Persimmon, Hallam Land and Taylor Wimpey.

Ferrous anomalies within Areas 44, 45 and particularly 53 are likely to be associated with WWII
structures that are known to be in the area. Although there is no above ground trace of the
searchlight battery, known to have been on the ground within Area 53 (BSA 2014 – 2), this would
certainly have required a substantial power source; the service and pipe anomalies detected
within this area are likely to be associated.

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

Treasbeare Farm Battle Headquarters associated with the RAF Exeter to the immediate south is visible as a range of structures and earthwork pit and banked features on aerial photographs of 1944 onwards. The headquarters site, with Treasbeare Farm at its centre, occupies a prominent hilltop position of approximately 24.5 hectares. The extent of the site is defined by probable barbed-wire entanglements, characterised by a fairly irregular, and ziz-zag pattern. The site of RAF Exeter, which the battle headquarters served to protect, borders the site to the south. Towards the southwest portion of the site are a concentration of barrack blocks, service huts and other smaller structures which are distributed alongside two extant field boundaries. Other smaller structures are also present across the remainder of the site, including a pump house, pillbox and reservoir, as well as several structures centred around the farmhouse itself which may or may not be military in origin. Circular earthwork pit and banked features of possible gun pits are also present towards the eastern edge of the perimeter fencing. Post-war aerial photographs of 1946 and 1947 show the site of the battle headquarters as being largely unchanged, the only noticeable omission being the absence of the barbed-wire entanglements, although vegetation marks remain visible. By 1963, the majority of the nissen huts and other structures to the west of the site have been demolished, although several remain as extant structures. The earthwork pit and banked features have also been completely levelled by this time. The Ordnance Survey 2015 MasterMap show that a number of the smaller structures, such as the pump house, reservoir and a single nissen hut survive as extant structures, although there may well be additional structures and earthworks present not recorded by this survey. This parent monument record includes a number of individual child records which have not been amended as part of this survey due to time constraints. Structures transcriped as part of these records, such as the barrack blocks, have therefore been attributed the monument number of the parent record.

Ordnance Survey, 2015, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV357601.

A number of the smaller structures and a single nissen hut survive and are depicted on the Ordnance Survey 2015 MasterMap.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV323390	Report - non-specific: Francis, P.. 1999. Exeter Airport. Historic Airport Survey for Devon County Council & East Devon District Council. Airfield Research Publishing Report. Digital + A4.
SDV352504	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/106G/UK/1412. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/106G/UK/1412 RP 3067-68 13-APR-1946.
SDV354847	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1963. RAF/543/2332. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/543/2332 2F21 022-23 26-JUL-1963.
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RP 3459 11-APR-1947.
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
SDV357601	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2015. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital.
SDV358954	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1944. RAF/NLA/80. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/NLA/80 RP 3035-36 24-MAR-1944.
SDV365632	Report - Geophysical Survey: Gater, J.. 2014. Cranbrook Exeter, Tresbeare and Bluehayes: Geophysical Survey. GSB Prospection. G1458b. Digital + A4.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4774 - Historic Airport Survey, Exeter Airport
• EDV6530 - The East and Mid-Devon Rivers Catchment NMP project (Ref: ACD613)
• EDV4887 - Assessment Two Areas of Highway to the East of Exeter
• EDV8954 - Geophysical Survey: Cranbrook Exeter, Tresbeare and Bluehayes (Ref: G1458b)

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