Defence of Britain Archive
Council for British Archaeology, 2002. (updated 2006) https://doi.org/10.5284/1000327. How to cite using this DOI
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- ADS Collection: 324
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1000327
- How to cite using this DOI
Anti-tank ditch. Farmer reports it has been filled in: no visible remaining earthworks. Air photograph evidence confirms site.
(Source: Field Visit 1996/08/28)
DES=WHAT APPEARS TO BE 2ND WORLD WAR DEFENCE, PROBABLY A TANK TRAP, IS VISIBLE
ON JANUARY 1948 APH AS A FAIRLY CLEAR EARTHWORK CONSISTING OF TWO WIDE BANKS
WITH A DITCH BETWEEN. RUNS FOR ABOUT 900M UP TO WOODBURY LANE AT SY29689753 FROM
THE RAILWAY LINE AT SY28859769 (SEE COURSE ON MAP OVERLAY) (APH JAN 1948). IT
HAS ALREADY BEEN FILLED IN AND LEVELLED AT THE EAST END BY MARCH 1948 (APH MAR
1948).
VIS=29/1/1985 (WEDDELL). THERE IS ALMOST NO TRACE OF THIS NOW ON THE SURFACE
EXCEPT AT ONE POINT TO THE EAST OF SHOALS FARM WHERE A HOLLOW WAY WAS FIRST
SUSPECTED. MODERN APH SURPRISINGLY SHOWS VERY WEAK CROPMARKS AT SY29209755 (APH
1984) (OTHER WW2 SITES SY29NE/70,71 NEARBY).
VIS=THE DITCH REACHED A DEPTH OF 2.5M. THIS FEATURE WAS MOSTLY LEVELLED SOON
AFTER THE WAR AND IN MANY AREAS THERE ARE NO SURFACE INDICATIONS (WEDDELL 1991)
VIS=THE DITCH AT ITS W END CONTINUES NE ALONG THE W SIDE OF THE RAILWAY TO C
SY28969781. WHERE THERE ARE GAPS IN THE DITCH, FOR ROAD OR RAILWAY EXITS, AT
SY28869768, SY29139753, AND SY29229751, SHORT STRETCHES OF CONCRETE ANTI-TANK
OBSTACLES ARE VISIBLE ON THE 1948 RAF AP'S (APH).
VIS=22/12/1993 (HORNER + GRIFFITH) SINGLE CONCRETE A/T BLOCK VISIBLE ON W SIDE
OF RAILWAY AT C SY28869768. MOUND AND UNDERGROWTH ON E SIDE MAY MASK SIMILAR
FEATURE (HORNER).
VIS=WHEN THE DITCH WAS CUT AREAS OF INFILL WERE LEFT FOR FARM ACCESS ACROSS IT,
TO BE BLOWN UP AT A LATER DATE IF NECESSARY (PEPPERELL).
KEY=DEFENSIVESITE MODERN XX NONVISIBLE SURV/7 COND/E EXT/ LCON/GH4;5 LCAR/GH4;5
SIST/ ARST/ CRF:SY29NE/70 CRF:SY29NE/71 8/2/1985 CRF:SY29NE/197 20/11/1992
REF=APH=CPE/UK/2431/4198/(22/1/1948)
REF=APH=CPE/UK/9482/4011/(10/3/1948)
REF=DES=WORKSHEET(WEDDELL)/(5/2/1985)AXMINSTER BY-PASS
REF=APH=DAP/BX10/(12/7/1984)
REF=DES=WEDDELL, P.J./ARCHAEOLOGICAL APPRAISAL OF POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS IN
AXMINSTER AND ITS ENVIRONS/(1991)(EMAFU REP 91/14)6
REF=HELLIS, J./FORTRESS/14(AUG 1992)43/THE TAUNTON STOP LINE
REF=DES=HORNER, B.(DCC)/(4/1/1994)/AS ABOVE
REF=DES=SLIDE/(22/12/1993)/IN SMR
REF=DES=PEPPERELL, S.J./ LETTER TO DCC/ (20/08/1990)/ COPY IN PF
(Source: SMR 1994/10/14)
| Type of site | ANTI TANK DITCH |
|---|---|
| Location | At Lower Abbey Farm, SW of Axminster. |
| Area |
Axminster, Devon, England |
| Grid reference |
SY 2896 9775
(Scale: 1:25000
)
SY 2920 9755 SY 2968 9753 SY 2885 9769 |
| Period | WW2 |
| Condition | Infilled |
| Materials | Earthwork |
| Recorder | Mear, K. (Axminster Historical Society) |
| Defence grouping |
Southern Command: Taunton Stop Line - Stop line running N - S through Somerset and South Devon - from Highbridge to Seaton via Taunton. Axminster anti-tank island - Defences of Axminster anti-tank island. Cassini ref. T7219. [Source: Southern Area Operation Instruction no.5, 4 Jan 1941 - PRO WO 166/1243]. |
| Adjacent sites | Adjacent pillboxes. |
| DOB site reference: | S0001299 |
| Associated Identifier | Devon SMR (ref: SY29NE/75) |
| Event |
Construction, In the period 1940 1941 Field Visit, On 1996/08/28 Infill, By 1948/03 |
