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Summary

Pillbox visible on Royal Air Force aerial photograph on west side of railway to north of road bridge to the north-east of Axminster Station. Now well-covered by vegetation. Part of the Axminster fortifications on the Taunton Stop Line constructed in 1940.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Record of the Historic Environment: 1417430
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY29NE/199

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

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

Royal Air Force, 1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2431, 3199 (Aerial Photograph). SDV356746.

Possible square pillbox visible on Royal Air Force aerial photograph on the west side of the railway to the north of the road bridge. Part of the Taunton Stop Line.

Royal Air Force, 1948, RAF/CPE/UK/2431, RAF/CPE/UK/2431 RP 3198-3199 22-JAN-1948 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359315.

A rectangular structure is visible.

Wills, H., 1985, Pillboxes. A Study of UK Defences 1940, 74 (Monograph). SDV336210.

Wills lists a polygonal pillbox of mixed construction, west facing at SY293983.

Newbery, J. D., 1996, Pillbox, Axminster Station (Worksheet). SDV356801.

Pillbox adjacent to railway line at north end of Axminster station, well covered by vegetation. Photo 1/2 taken from field adjacent to line. Photo 2/2 taken from railway bridge over line carrying western approach road to Axminster over station platform.

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

Pillbox with rectangular walls, 1 foot 6 inches thick.

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

A Second World War reinforced concrete pillbox that forms part of the 1940-1941 Taunton Stop Line is visible as rectangular flat-roofed structure, 4 by 3.5 metres, on aerial photographs from 1948.
The 1948 RAF prints held by Historic England have been recorded here as an additional source because there is a possibility that the prints may have been processed differently to those held by Devon County Council. This would potentially result in images on which archaeological features show slightly differently.
It was recorded as extant in 1996, but it is not visible on the recent aerial photographs due to vegetation cover. A structure is depicted in this location on the modern mapping, but is smaller at 3 by 2.5 metres, so it has been transcribed separately.

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.
SDV336210	Monograph: Wills, H.. 1985. Pillboxes. A Study of UK Defences 1940. Pillboxes. Hardback Volume. 74.
SDV342938	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946 - 1949. Royal Air Force Aerial Photographs. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Digital).
SDV356746	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1948. RAF/CPE/UK/2431. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). 3199.
SDV356801	Worksheet: Newbery, J. D.. 1996. Pillbox, Axminster Station. Defence of Britain Project. Worksheet + Digital.
SDV359315	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1948. RAF/CPE/UK/2431. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/2431 RP 3198-3199 22-JAN-1948. [Mapped feature: #93821 ]
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

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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