Monument record MDO28785 - Second World War defences, Wareham, Wareham Town

Remains of Second World War defences surrounding Wareham town are visible on aerial photographs taken in 1945. The photographs indicate that the early medieval earthwork defences surrounding Wareham (MWX698) were refortified with the addition of gun emplacements, barbed wire fencing and anti tank cubes.

Remains of Second World War defences surrounding Wareham town are visible on aerial photographs taken in 1945 (1) and were digitally plotted during the South West Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset). The photographs indicate that the early medieval earthwork defences surrounding Wareham (MWX698) were refortified with the addition of gun emplacements, barbed wire fencing and anti tank cubes.

What appears to be barbed wire fencing can be seen enclosing the north-east and south-west corners of the earlier defensive earthworks (NGR SY92434 87863 & SY91924 87604), possibly surrounding gun emplacements. Anti-tank cubes are also visible obstructing vunerable entrances to the town on the east, west and south sides of the earlier defensive earthworks (NGR SY92612 87592, SY92648 87417, SY92563 87170, SY92161 87098, SY92067 87278 & SY92007 87376). These features are not visible on the most recent comprehensive aerial photographs available to the project (2), presumably having been removed at the end of the war.

<1> Royal Air Force, 14-MAR-1945, RAF/106G/LA/194 240 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12695.

<2> Google Earth, 2013, Google Earth 2013 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12686.

Record last edited

Mar 4 2025 3:33PM