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Summary

Observation Post 22 is situated on the crest of the ridge separating the East Okement River and the Blackaven Brook. The post, adjacent to the military ring road, lies 25 metres south of a small unnamed tor and just outside the south-west corner of East Okement Farm. Decsision made not to schedule in 2015.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: SX69SW62
• National Record of the Historic Environment: 893379
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX69SW/279

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• OBSERVATION POST (Built, Early 20th Century - 1923 AD (Between) to 1924 AD (Between))

Full description

Royal Commission for the Historical Monuments of England, 1993-1998, Dartmoor Royal Forest Project, S. Probert (Report - Survey). SDV346608.

(02/08/1993) Observation Post 22 is situated on the crest of the ridge separating the East Okement River and the Blackaven Brook. The post, adjacent to the military ring road, lies 25m south of a small unnamed tor and just outside the south west corner of East Okement farm.
The feature comprises an observing shelter of precast concrete blocks protected on its western, northern and eastern sides by a large mound of turf and boulders.
The shelter measures 14.5m long and approximately 2.0m wide with a height of 2.2m. It is divided into seven bays with two further bays containing entrances at either end. Five of these bays are deliberately blocked apart from a small observing slit at the top. The two western bays have shuttered windows.
The sub-rectangular protective mound measures 25.0m east to west by 7.8m and stands a maximum of 3.6. high on the west. Its western, northern and eastern extremities are retained by a coursed boulder revetment up to 1.9m high. A range pole and iron chimney flue protrude through the top of the mound. It possesses a commanding view to the south and remains in use as an artillery observation post.
The origin of this feature is not certain though many of the OPs on Okehampton Range are thought to date from the early 20th century (Major D. Mills personal comment).

Francis, P., 2002, Okehampton Artillery Range, 13, plate 37 (Report - Survey). SDV359222.

Observation Post 22. Built by W. J. Avery under the authority of WO Southern 25/129 (FW3) dated 17 September 1923 and completed during March 1924 at a cost of £462. This was an observation post for 16 officers under instruction. It is now used as range control and stock clearer shelter and as such, it has a dividing wall inside to create separate office and stable accommodation. In September 1998, the Post was faced with granite by 511 STRE under the guidance of Wilf Hatchings. An additional window was added in March 2002.

Probert, S. A. J. + Newman, P., 2003-2004, Measured survey North Dartmoor Military Range Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey, S. Probert (Report - Survey). SDV350801.

(02/02/2004) Though apparently suffering from chronic spalling of its concrete components this feature remains generally as described in 1993 and is still in use.

English Heritage, 2015, Okehampton Artillery Range: Various Observation Posts (Schedule Document). SDV359220.

Observation Post 22 is situated on the crest of the ridge separating the East Okement River and the Blackaven Brook. The post, adjacent to the military ring road, lies 25 metres south of a small unnamed tor and just outside the south-west corner of East Okement Farm. Not considered of good enough quality to justify Scheduling.

Ordnance Survey, 2018, MasterMap 2018 (Cartographic). SDV360652.

'Observation Post' shown on modern mapping as a small rectangular building.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8409 - Dartmoor Royal Forest Project
• EDV8679 - Okehampton Range: Management Survey
• EDV8291 - Okehampton Range: Monument Baseline Condition Survey
• EDV8695 - Survey of Okehampton North Dartmoor Military Range

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