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HER Number:MDV80807
Name:Military Earthworks, South-East of Down Thomas Battery

Summary

A roughly circular platform or terrace is visible as an earthwork on the south-facing coastal slopes east of Wembury Point on aerial photographs of 1945 onwards. The earthwork may be the site of a searchlight emplacement of Second World War date associated with Down Thomas Battery to the north.

Location

Grid Reference:SX 507 488
Map Sheet:SX54NW
Admin AreaDevon
Civil ParishWembury
DistrictSouth Hams
Ecclesiastical ParishWEMBURY

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

  • MILITARY EARTHWORKS (Unknown date)
  • SEARCHLIGHT BATTERY? (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1945, RAF/106G/UK/871, RAF/106G/UK/871 6199 30-SEP-1945 (Aerial Photograph). SDV351258.

A roughly circular platform or terrace is visible as an earthwork.


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

Small circular earthworks visible 500 metres to the south-east of Down Thomas Battery. It may once have served as a searchlight emplacement.


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

Circular earthworks still prominent, the remainder of the field has been ploughed.


Bluesky, 2006 - 2007, Bluesky aerial photographs 2006 - 2007 (Aerial Photograph). SDV341189.

Feature and immediate surrounds remain unploughed.


Next Perspectives, 2007, Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs, Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SX5048 03-MAY-2007 (Aerial Photograph). SDV350196.

The earthwork remains visible and appears to be in good condition but is largely obscured by scrub vegetation.


Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

Feature is not shown.


Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R., 2013-2014, South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project (Interpretation). SDV351146.

A roughly circular platform or terrace approximately seven to eight metres in diameter is visible as an earthwork on the south-facing coastal slopes east of Wembury Point on aerial photographs of 1945 onwards. The platform appears to be terraced into the hillslope and is surrounded on its northern, upslope side by a slight bank. An east-west orientated terrace nearly thirty metres in length is situated at the entrance to the platform on its southern edge.
The earthwork may be the site of a searchlight emplacement of Second World War date, possibly associated with Down Thomas Battery to the north. The earthwork appears to remain in uncultivated but overgrown condition.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV321648Aerial Photograph: GetMapping. 1999 - 2000. Millennium Map 1999-2000 Getmapping. Millennium Map. Photograph (Digital).
SDV341189Aerial Photograph: Bluesky. 2006 - 2007. Bluesky aerial photographs 2006 - 2007. Bluesky. Photograph (Digital).
SDV342938Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946 - 1949. Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Digital).
SDV346129Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2011. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey. Map (Digital).
SDV350196Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2007. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Pan Government Agreement Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives PGA Imagery SX5048 03-MAY-2007.
SDV351146Interpretation: Hegarty, C. + Knight, S. + Sims, R.. 2013-2014. South Devon Coast Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Project. AC Archaeology Report. Digital.
Linked documents:1
SDV351258Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1945. RAF/106G/UK/871. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/106G/UK/871 6199 30-SEP-1945. [Mapped feature: #107595 ]

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

  • EDV6127 - Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme (NMP) for South-West England - South Coast Devon (Ref: ACD618)

Date Last Edited:Jul 25 2013 2:59PM