Munchh
10-08-2010, 10:59 PM
A bit of history and info.
This Stop Line ran from the north coast of Somerset down to Seaton, Devon and 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."
This was a nostalgia trip for me. I first visited this section as a kid in 1976 and this is the first time I've been back. You would not stumble across it.
After parking my car in a lay by, I made the 2 mile trek to the southern end of the section near Forton bridge (demolished long since). Along the way, I decided to check out the thick-walled type 24 on The Drift. An old drovers lane running between windwhistle hill and Forton hill. This is what I found;
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0707.jpg
And inside;
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0701.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0702.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0703.jpg
Beautiful condition, zero graffiti! and totally overgrown.
Next up, the old railway itself. Will follow up with more later but for now as a taster of what's here;
A rail block
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0743.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0741.jpg
and it's partner
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0740.jpg
surrounded by about 30 anti-tank cubes in dense undergrowth
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0744.jpg
and a gaggle of Tetrahedra
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0739.jpg
Also, a tank trap array on the track bed, a concrete platform 25 feet long just up-line from the rail block;
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0748.jpg
with mine sockets
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0751.jpg
Hairpin sockets
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0750.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0747.jpg
More will follow, but in the meantime, here's an elevated 24, 50 yards back from the track bed about ¼ mile from the rail block array,
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0733.jpg
and a thick-walled type 24 which was originally disguised as a station building at the Forton station.
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0723.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0712.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0719.jpg
This is a very well hidden part of the TSL and is virtually undisturbed as a result. This report features the more rare installations on this extant section of the stopline and I hope you have enjoyed this brief look.
This Stop Line ran from the north coast of Somerset down to Seaton, Devon and 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."
This was a nostalgia trip for me. I first visited this section as a kid in 1976 and this is the first time I've been back. You would not stumble across it.
After parking my car in a lay by, I made the 2 mile trek to the southern end of the section near Forton bridge (demolished long since). Along the way, I decided to check out the thick-walled type 24 on The Drift. An old drovers lane running between windwhistle hill and Forton hill. This is what I found;
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0707.jpg
And inside;
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0701.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0702.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0703.jpg
Beautiful condition, zero graffiti! and totally overgrown.
Next up, the old railway itself. Will follow up with more later but for now as a taster of what's here;
A rail block
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0743.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0741.jpg
and it's partner
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0740.jpg
surrounded by about 30 anti-tank cubes in dense undergrowth
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0744.jpg
and a gaggle of Tetrahedra
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0739.jpg
Also, a tank trap array on the track bed, a concrete platform 25 feet long just up-line from the rail block;
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0748.jpg
with mine sockets
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0751.jpg
Hairpin sockets
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0750.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0747.jpg
More will follow, but in the meantime, here's an elevated 24, 50 yards back from the track bed about ¼ mile from the rail block array,
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0733.jpg
and a thick-walled type 24 which was originally disguised as a station building at the Forton station.
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0723.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0712.jpg
http://i857.photobucket.com/albums/ab132/Munch099/Taunton%20Stop%20line/TSL640/100_0719.jpg
This is a very well hidden part of the TSL and is virtually undisturbed as a result. This report features the more rare installations on this extant section of the stopline and I hope you have enjoyed this brief look.