Munchh
22-05-2011, 02:48 PM
Those of you familiar with this stop line can skip the info bit, for anyone new to it, read on.
This Stop Line ran from the north coast of Somerset down to Seaton, Devon. The installations were built by private contractors and Army personnel in the weeks following the Dunkirk evacuations.
"The Line, of over 300 pillboxes plus machine gun emplacements, anti-tank gun emplacements, anti-tank ditches, infantry trenches and many other defences, ran down from the Pawlett Hams in the north of Somerset, along the River Parrett and then, following the east bank of the Bridgwater and Taunton canal southward, to Creech St. Michael where it joined and followed the dried-up bed of the old Taunton & Chard Canal. South-west of Ilton the Line traced the route of the Great Western Railway southward. North of Chard Junction the Line left the G.W.R. and followed the route shared by the Southern Railway and the River Axe, briefly crossing over into Dorset in a couple of places, finally following the Axe into the seaside town of Seaton, Devon, where the Stop Line ended."
Continuing with my exploration of the TSL, I made my way north from Peasmarsh to Donyatt Halt. Previous section report here http://www.urbexforums.co.uk/showthread.php/9890-Taunton-Stopline-%E2%80%93-Chard-Joint-to-Peasmarsh-%E2%80%93-September-2010
I’ve added indications of AT ditches, barbed wire etc as well as the usual PB placemarks to my GE map shots to try to give a more comprehensive view of how the stop line was ‘joined up’ so to speak. In this instance barbed wire is the thin blue line and AT ditches a thicker orange line. The thick yellow line shows AT cubes.
These indications and placemarks are based on the original schedule of completed works and engineers plans from Nov 1940. Many defences were added after this date and the field work often throws up previously unknown or unlisted installations.
Original stop line designations, DOB numbers and now grid references are given for each artefact.
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/GE%20map%20shots/GE%20map%20shots%20640/DonyattM17.jpg
This whole stretch has been cleared and a cycle track established so it’s easy to explore. A very different place from the late ‘70’s when I first discovered the line as a boy but a good re-use of a disused railway line I guess.
Proceeding north from Peasmarsh;
Pillbox M 17 – S0002974, shell proof type 24, 50°54'48.93"N, 2°56'11.57"W
PB is in fine condition and accessible.
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%2017/100_1668.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%2017/100_1667.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%2017/100_1664.jpg
Next there was a road block M RD 36 indicated at 50°54'51.53"N, 2°56'17.50"W on the engineers plans although nothing remains that I could see. The construction of the A 358 is probably the culprit.
AT tetrahedron are shown on the DOB overlay at 50°54'57.40"N, 2°56'16.38"W. I didn’t see them but, as they were reported by Chris Perry with whom I am aquainted, I do not doubt their existence. Also, Chris is the person who discovered the steel hairpin (a rare find indeed) at the location of a removed rail block T RL B 20 at 50°52'48.69"N, 2°57'8.94"W. This remarkable find is now resident at the Chard Museum.
Next up, something rather unusual. A rail block on the river bridge and a road block below the bridge in the bed of the river. It’s easy to see why as the river is very shallow and would have presented no significant obstacle to a tank crossing under the line. A single concrete block probably for a horizontal RSJ is present on the south bank. It’s given as M RD 35 on the DOB overlay but closer inspection of the engineers plans states it’s M RD 33, to my eye at least.
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/GE%20map%20shots/GE%20map%20shots%20640/Donyatt1.jpg
Road block - M RD 33 - 50°55'3.54"N, 2°56'16.58"W
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%20RD%2033/100_1730.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%20RD%2033/100_1727.jpg
Rail block – M RL 14 - 50°55'3.32"N, 2°56'16.10"W
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%20RL%2014/100_1672.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%20RL%2014/100_1670.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%20RL%2014/100_1669.jpg
Note the small hole for the insertion of a pin which would be driven in to complete the block once the RSJ’s were in place.
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%20RL%2014/100_1671.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/GE%20map%20shots/GE%20map%20shots%20640/DonyatHalt.jpg
Rail block at Donyatt Halt – M RL 38 – S0000294 - 50°55'17.38"N, 2°56'16.13"W
Mis-located by the DOB database but very much extant. The wonderful condition of all the defences here is thanks to the work of the volunteers who created the cycle track allowing Donyatt Halt to re-emerge from the undergrowth.
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%20RL%2038/100_1675.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%20RL%2038/100_1676.jpg
AT cubes – S0002957
A duplicate entry on the DOB and actually running from M RL 38 to the bridge at 50°55'18.98"N, 2°56'14.92"W as shown by the yellow line.
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/AT%20cubes%20at%20M%20RL%2038/100_1678.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/AT%20cubes%20at%20M%20RL%2038/100_1720.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/AT%20cubes%20at%20M%20RL%2038/100_1721.jpg
Unlisted Road block - 50°55'19.18"N, 2°56'14.85"W
Only the one half remains and this block is not shown on the 1940 plans. I couldn’t see the mine socket reported by Chris Perry. This block was clearly constructed after Nov 1940.
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/Unlisted%20Road%20block/100_1681.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/Unlisted%20Road%20block/100_1722.jpg
M RD 34 was located to the west at 50°55'19.14"N, 2°56'26.22"W and is on the 1940 plans where interestingly an AT wall is noted on the DOB database.
Continued in next post.
This Stop Line ran from the north coast of Somerset down to Seaton, Devon. The installations were built by private contractors and Army personnel in the weeks following the Dunkirk evacuations.
"The Line, of over 300 pillboxes plus machine gun emplacements, anti-tank gun emplacements, anti-tank ditches, infantry trenches and many other defences, ran down from the Pawlett Hams in the north of Somerset, along the River Parrett and then, following the east bank of the Bridgwater and Taunton canal southward, to Creech St. Michael where it joined and followed the dried-up bed of the old Taunton & Chard Canal. South-west of Ilton the Line traced the route of the Great Western Railway southward. North of Chard Junction the Line left the G.W.R. and followed the route shared by the Southern Railway and the River Axe, briefly crossing over into Dorset in a couple of places, finally following the Axe into the seaside town of Seaton, Devon, where the Stop Line ended."
Continuing with my exploration of the TSL, I made my way north from Peasmarsh to Donyatt Halt. Previous section report here http://www.urbexforums.co.uk/showthread.php/9890-Taunton-Stopline-%E2%80%93-Chard-Joint-to-Peasmarsh-%E2%80%93-September-2010
I’ve added indications of AT ditches, barbed wire etc as well as the usual PB placemarks to my GE map shots to try to give a more comprehensive view of how the stop line was ‘joined up’ so to speak. In this instance barbed wire is the thin blue line and AT ditches a thicker orange line. The thick yellow line shows AT cubes.
These indications and placemarks are based on the original schedule of completed works and engineers plans from Nov 1940. Many defences were added after this date and the field work often throws up previously unknown or unlisted installations.
Original stop line designations, DOB numbers and now grid references are given for each artefact.
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/GE%20map%20shots/GE%20map%20shots%20640/DonyattM17.jpg
This whole stretch has been cleared and a cycle track established so it’s easy to explore. A very different place from the late ‘70’s when I first discovered the line as a boy but a good re-use of a disused railway line I guess.
Proceeding north from Peasmarsh;
Pillbox M 17 – S0002974, shell proof type 24, 50°54'48.93"N, 2°56'11.57"W
PB is in fine condition and accessible.
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%2017/100_1668.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%2017/100_1667.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%2017/100_1664.jpg
Next there was a road block M RD 36 indicated at 50°54'51.53"N, 2°56'17.50"W on the engineers plans although nothing remains that I could see. The construction of the A 358 is probably the culprit.
AT tetrahedron are shown on the DOB overlay at 50°54'57.40"N, 2°56'16.38"W. I didn’t see them but, as they were reported by Chris Perry with whom I am aquainted, I do not doubt their existence. Also, Chris is the person who discovered the steel hairpin (a rare find indeed) at the location of a removed rail block T RL B 20 at 50°52'48.69"N, 2°57'8.94"W. This remarkable find is now resident at the Chard Museum.
Next up, something rather unusual. A rail block on the river bridge and a road block below the bridge in the bed of the river. It’s easy to see why as the river is very shallow and would have presented no significant obstacle to a tank crossing under the line. A single concrete block probably for a horizontal RSJ is present on the south bank. It’s given as M RD 35 on the DOB overlay but closer inspection of the engineers plans states it’s M RD 33, to my eye at least.
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/GE%20map%20shots/GE%20map%20shots%20640/Donyatt1.jpg
Road block - M RD 33 - 50°55'3.54"N, 2°56'16.58"W
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%20RD%2033/100_1730.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%20RD%2033/100_1727.jpg
Rail block – M RL 14 - 50°55'3.32"N, 2°56'16.10"W
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%20RL%2014/100_1672.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%20RL%2014/100_1670.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%20RL%2014/100_1669.jpg
Note the small hole for the insertion of a pin which would be driven in to complete the block once the RSJ’s were in place.
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%20RL%2014/100_1671.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/GE%20map%20shots/GE%20map%20shots%20640/DonyatHalt.jpg
Rail block at Donyatt Halt – M RL 38 – S0000294 - 50°55'17.38"N, 2°56'16.13"W
Mis-located by the DOB database but very much extant. The wonderful condition of all the defences here is thanks to the work of the volunteers who created the cycle track allowing Donyatt Halt to re-emerge from the undergrowth.
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%20RL%2038/100_1675.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/M%20RL%2038/100_1676.jpg
AT cubes – S0002957
A duplicate entry on the DOB and actually running from M RL 38 to the bridge at 50°55'18.98"N, 2°56'14.92"W as shown by the yellow line.
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/AT%20cubes%20at%20M%20RL%2038/100_1678.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/AT%20cubes%20at%20M%20RL%2038/100_1720.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/AT%20cubes%20at%20M%20RL%2038/100_1721.jpg
Unlisted Road block - 50°55'19.18"N, 2°56'14.85"W
Only the one half remains and this block is not shown on the 1940 plans. I couldn’t see the mine socket reported by Chris Perry. This block was clearly constructed after Nov 1940.
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/Unlisted%20Road%20block/100_1681.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/Unlisted%20Road%20block/100_1722.jpg
M RD 34 was located to the west at 50°55'19.14"N, 2°56'26.22"W and is on the 1940 plans where interestingly an AT wall is noted on the DOB database.
Continued in next post.