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Summary

Two short slit trenches of probable Second World War date were visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s as earthwork ditches on the west-facing slopes overlooking the Exe Valley, to the south-west of dwelling formerly known as Greenacre. The earthworks appear to have been levelled.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• AIR RAID SHELTER? (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD (Between))
• SLIT TRENCH (World War II - 1939 AD to 1945 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/106G/UK/1273, RAF/106G/UK/1273 V 5053-5054 23-MAR-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV358976.

Two short earthwork trenches or ditches were visible.

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

Two short slit trenches of probable Second World War date were visible on aerial photographs of the 1940s as earthwork ditches on the west-facing slopes overlooking the Exe Valley, to the south-west of dwelling formerly known as Greenacre.
The eastern slit trench was crenelated or roughly ‘gull-wing’ in plan, approximately 13 metres long and no more than 1 metres wide. A bank or spoil was piled to the western edge of the ditch. The western ditch was simpler, comprising ditch less than 4 metres long and 1 metre wide surrounded by an earthwork bank, with a possible entrance to the north-western end. Both trenches might have been excavated as small domestic surface air raid shelters during the Second World War date, perhaps associated with the large building named as Greenacre.
The land surrounding Greenacre has now been developed as housing, incorporating the building of Greenacre itself, now named Greenacres. As such, the sites of the possible shelter earthworks are not visible and have probably been levelled, now located beneath Wreford’s Close and the rear gardens of numbers 15-17 Wreford’s Close.

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

The sites of the earthworks are now located beneath Wreford’s Close and the rear gardens of numbers 15-17 Wreford’s Close.

Sources / Further Reading

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.
SDV358976	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/106G/UK/1273. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/106G/UK/1273 V 5053-5054 23-MAR-1946.

Associated Monuments: none recorded

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV6530 - The East and Mid-Devon Rivers Catchment NMP project (Ref: ACD613)

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