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Summary

Pillbox on the west side of the railway embankment covering the river and the railway bridge over the river. Visible as a structure on aerial photographs taken between 1947 and 2010. 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: 1417399
• Old DCC SMR Ref: ST30SW/166

Monument Type(s) and Dates

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

Full description

Royal Air Force, 1947, RAF/CPE/UK/1974, 4322 (Aerial Photograph). SDV110669.

Probable pillbox visible on RAF 1947 aerial photo on west side of railway line covering river and railway bridge. Associated with railblock.

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

A small roughly square structure is visible.

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

Wills lists polygonal pillbox of mixed construction facing west at ST323020.

Horner, B., 1994, Taunton Stop Line Survey (Personal Comment). SDV360458.

Details of defences visible on 1948 RAF aerial photos. Location plan in HER.

Horner, W., 1996, Taunton Stop Line Survey (Personal Comment). SDV325663.

The pillbox here is still extant. Viewed from the air. Sited into west side of railway embankment just on south side of farm access through embankment.

Dangerfield, M. E. + Dangerfield, J., 1997, Pillbox, Wadbrook Cross (Worksheet). SDV357568.

Pillbox, square, possibly modified type 26. Largly overgrown, interior not accessible. Built into railway embankment, facing out north-west at right angles to line. Plan.

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

Pillbox S.18 of rectangular type.

Foot, W., 2006, Defence Areas. A National Study of Second World War Anti-Invasion Landscapes in England, DA04-Wadbrook-S0001293 (Report - Survey). SDV360266.

Wadbrook defence area. Pillbox (Type FW3/26). At Wadbrook Cross by the railway line. In fair condition, although structure very overgrown.

Next Perspectives, 2010, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST3201 23-MAY-2010 (Aerial Photograph). SDV359317.

A small roughly square structure is visible.

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 structure, circa 4.5 metres square, is visible on aerial photographs taken between 1947 and 2010. It is very likely to be the Second World War pillbox S.18 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.

Powell-Thomas, A., 2017, The West Country's last Line of Defence. Taunton Stop Line, 75 (Monograph). SDV360594.

Overgrown, rectangular structure

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). 4322.
SDV325663	Personal Comment: Horner, W.. 1996. Taunton Stop Line Survey. Taunton Stop Line Survey. Digital.
SDV336210	Monograph: Wills, H.. 1985. Pillboxes. A Study of UK Defences 1940. Pillboxes. Hardback Volume. 76.
SDV357568	Worksheet: Dangerfield, M. E. + Dangerfield, J.. 1997. Pillbox, Wadbrook Cross. Defence of Britain Project. Worksheet + Digital.
SDV359317	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2010. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Aerial Photography for Great Britain Aerial Photographs. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery ST3201 23-MAY-2010.
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: #94495 ]
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-S0001293.
SDV360458	Personal Comment: Horner, B.. 1994. Taunton Stop Line Survey. Not Applicable.
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. 75.

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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