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Summary

Pillbox in corner of field, visible as a structure on aerial photographs taken in 1947 and now obscured by vegetation. Part of the Wadbrook defence area on the Second World War Taunton Stop Line constructed in 1940.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 1417439
• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST30SW/131

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• PILLBOX (Built, World War II - 1940 AD to 1940 AD)

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, 4323 (Aerial Photograph). SDV110669.

Visible on 1947 aerial photo.

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1975, RAF/CPE/UK/1975 FP 1117-1118 11-APR-1947 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359646.

A six-sided structure is visible.

Wills, H., 1985, Pillboxes. A Study of UK Defences 1940, 76 (Monograph). SDV336210.

Wills lists polygonal west facing pillbox of mixed construction at ST327022.

Horner, B., 1993, Pillboxes and Roadblocks (Site Visit). SDV360454.

Site visit 14th May 1993. Pillbox visible in hedgerow in corner of field. Much overgrown.

Dangerfield, J., Dangerfield, M. E. & Tibbles, N., 1996, Broom Pits, Pillbox (Worksheet). SDV325657.

Type 24 Pillbox, 'thick walled'. Embrasures on each of the five shorter walls, with two embrasures on the door wall. Walls are 3 feet 6 inches thick with a doorway 2 feet 3 inches wide. The anti-ricochet wall is as in the diagram. Outside the walls are well over 6 feet in height. A hole in the roof near the anti-ricochet wall may have been for a stove chimney. Other details: Photo and plan.

Dobinson, C. S., 1998, The Taunton Stop Line. Component Listing, 4 (Report - non-specific). SDV109230.

Pillbox S.17 of type FW3/22.

Foot, W., 2006, Defence Areas. A National Study of Second World War Anti-Invasion Landscapes in England, DA04-Wadbrook-S0001334, Fig. 6 (Report - Survey). SDV360266.

Site visit 14th January 2003. Pillbox (Type FW3/24). Part of the Wadbrook defence area. Heavily overgrown. Concrete-faced. Faces west down lane. No access, located on private land. In good condition although very overgrow.

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

A small six-sided structure, circa 5 by 5.5 metres square, is visible on aerial photographs taken in 1947. It is very likely to be the Second World War pillbox S.17 marked on Royal Engineers plans for the 1940 Taunton Stop Line. It is depicted on modern mapping and so has not been transcribed.

Ordnance Survey, 2017, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359962.

Irregular shaped structure shown.

Powell-Thomas, A., 2017, The West Country's last Line of Defence. Taunton Stop Line, 76 (Monograph). SDV360594.

Located in the corner of the field by a bend in the lane. Faces west down the lane. Overgrown for much of the year.

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. 4.
SDV110669	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1974. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 4323.
SDV325657	Worksheet: Dangerfield, J., Dangerfield, M. E. & Tibbles, N.. 1996. Broom Pits, Pillbox. Defence of Britain Project. Worksheet + Digital.
SDV336210	Monograph: Wills, H.. 1985. Pillboxes. A Study of UK Defences 1940. Pillboxes. Hardback Volume. 76.
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
SDV359646	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1947. RAF/CPE/UK/1975. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1975 FP 1117-1118 11-APR-1947.
SDV359962	Cartographic: Ordnance Survey. 2017. MasterMap. Ordnance Survey Digital Mapping. Digital. [Mapped feature: #93277 ]
SDV360266	Report - Survey: Foot, W.. 2006. Defence Areas. A National Study of Second World War Anti-Invasion Landscapes in England. Council for British Archaeology/English Heritage. Digital. DA04-Wadbrook-S0001334, Fig. 6.
SDV360454	Site Visit: Horner, B.. 1993. Pillboxes and Roadblocks. Digital.
SDV360594	Monograph: Powell-Thomas, A.. 2017. The West Country's last Line of Defence. Taunton Stop Line. The West Country's last Line of Defence. Taunton Stop Line. Paperback Volume. 76.

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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