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Summary

A military camp (Dispersed Site 3) of Second World War date is visible as a number of structures and earthwork banked features on aerial photographs of 1943 onwards, to the southeast of Dunkeswell airfield. By 2014, the site has been almost completely developed and it is unlikely any above ground structures survive.

Summary from record MDV45099:
Distinct group of military buildings visible on raf (1947) aps (aph).

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST10NW/42/7

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• MILITARY BUILDING (XVIII to XXI - 1751 AD to 2009 AD)
• DISPERSED SITE (Built, World War II - 1939 AD (Between) to 1945 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1942, RAF/16B/BR425/3, RAF/16B/BR425/3 V 34 02-FEB-1942 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359929.

The camp has not yet been constructed.

Royal Air Force, 1942, RAF/FNO/38, RAF/FNO/38 RV 6021 11-JUL-1942 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359770.

The camp has not been constructed, although construction of associated camps has commenced.

United States Airforce, 1943, US/7PH/GP/LOC14, US/7PH/GP/LOC14 RV 6005 09-AUG-1943 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359565.

A range of structures and earthwork banked features are visible.

Royal Air Force, 1946 - 1949, Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs (Aerial Photograph). SDV342938.

Map object previously based on this Source.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS 4297-4298 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356127.

A number of structures and earthwork banked features are visible.

Ordnance Survey, 1982, OS/82219 V, OS/82219 V 1648-49 03-SEP-1982 (Aerial Photograph). SDV357675.

The former camp remains largely unchanged.

Horner, B., 1994, Visit to Owl House, Dunkeswell, Slides (Un-published). SDV359143.

Site visit 11th April 1994. A number of airfield buildings are recorded on the 1963 Ordnance Survey map. Of these only the western group was still extant when visited and subject to an application for demolition. It is unclear as to the original function of these buildings but at least one was for vehicles The remainder of site appears to have been demolished by developers. According to the owner of Owl House, the Blossom Hill group of buildings was where the airfield Anglican and Catholic chaplaincies were and the camp canteen.

Francis, P., 1995, Blackdown Hills Airfield Survey. Dunkeswell and Upottery, 20, 68, 71 Figs 3, 25, Pl.15 (Report - Survey). SDV312951.

Dunkeswell Airfield Dispersed Site 3 (Communal). As well as acquiring land for the airfield and its buildings, land was acquired also acquired from a number of farms for the construction of 13 dispersed living sites. On Dispersed Site 3, the officers quarters, mess and officers and sergents bathhouses are still standing. Demolished structures included shops, gymnasium, squash court, sergents mess and ration store (see Appendix 2 for full list).

GetMapping, 1999 - 2000, Millennium Map 1999-2000 Getmapping (Aerial Photograph). SDV321648.

The former camp has been cleared, with the western extent completely developed and the remainder having been partly developed.

Next Perspectives, 2014, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1406 08-SEP-2014 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359479.

The former camp has been completely levelled and almost completely developed into a residential estate.

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

A military camp (Dispersed Site 3) of Second World War date is visible as a number of structures and earthwork banked features on aerial photographs of 1943 onwards, to the southeast of Dunkeswell airfield. The camp occupies two adjacent, former agricultural, fields and covers an area of approximately 3.32 hectares of land. The site comprises a number of structures largely consisting of nissen huts, but also pitched roof structures, most likely utilised for accommodation, storage and administration, as well as an embanked water tank and a number of elongated earthwork banked features of largely uncertain function, some of which may represent air raid shelters. The camp is located in close proximity to a number of other similarly dispersed camps associated with Dunkeswell airfield, situated approximately 1km to the northwest. The camps are all interconnected by a series of trackways, some of which are still partly extant on modern digital mapping. The camp, which was built sometime between 11th July 1942 to 9th August 1943, remains largely unaltered on aerial photographs of 1947. By 1982, the former camp remains little changed, although by 1999, the site has been cleared and partly developed. By 2014, the site has been almost completely developed and it is unlikely any above ground structures survive.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV312951	Report - Survey: Francis, P.. 1995. Blackdown Hills Airfield Survey. Dunkeswell and Upottery. Blackdown Hills AONB. A4 Comb Bound + Digital. 20, 68, 71 Figs 3, 25, Pl.15.
SDV321648	Aerial Photograph: GetMapping. 1999 - 2000. Millennium Map 1999-2000 Getmapping. Millennium Map. Photograph (Digital).
SDV342938	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946 - 1949. Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Digital).
SDV356127	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1974 RS 4297-4298 11-APR-1947. [Mapped feature: #105573 ]
SDV357675	Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1982. OS/82219 V. Ordnance Survey. Photograph (Paper). OS/82219 V 1648-49 03-SEP-1982.
SDV359143	Un-published: Horner, B.. 1994. Visit to Owl House, Dunkeswell. A4 Stapled + Digital. Slides.
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
SDV359479	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2014. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST1406 08-SEP-2014.
SDV359565	Aerial Photograph: United States Airforce. 1943. US/7PH/GP/LOC14. United States Airforce. Photograph (Paper). US/7PH/GP/LOC14 RV 6005 09-AUG-1943.
SDV359770	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1942. RAF/FNO/38. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photocopy. RAF/FNO/38 RV 6021 11-JUL-1942.
SDV359929	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1942. RAF/16B/BR425/3. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/16B/BR425/3 V 34 02-FEB-1942.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4948 - Blackdown Hills Airfield Survey
• EDV7508 - The Blackdown Hills AONB and East Devon River Catchments National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Ref: ACD1228)

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