Monument record MDO28799 - Royal Observer Corps monitoring post, Stoborough, Arne

A small square structure is visible on aerial photographs taken in 1945, located to the east of Stoborough. A Royal Observers Corps Monitoring Post, opened in August 1959 and closed by October 1968, is recorded at this location. As this structure is visible in 1945 it is likely that it could be the remains of a Second World War military site that was later replaced by the monitoring post.

The site of a Royal Observer Corps monitoring post. The site was built as a part of an extensive network of posts designed to confirm and report hostile aircraft and nuclear attacks on the United Kingdom. The post was found to have been demolished by the time of the Defence of Britain survey. <1-3>

The post was opened in August 1959 and was closed in October 1968. The surface features were cleared away shortly after closure with the rubble being tipped down the shaft. The monitoring room is still believed to exist below ground. The site was located underground under a clump of gorse bushes on top of Barn Hill, 100 yards north west from the junction of Nutcrack Lane & Barnhill Road. <4>

A small square structure, approximately 3m x 3m, is visible on aerial photographs taken in 1945 <5>, located to the east of Stoborough. An NMR record at this location (1414165) records the site of a Royal Observers Corps Monitoring Post, opened in August 1959 and closed by October 1968. As this structure is visible in 1945 it is likely that it could be the remains of a Second World War military site that was later replaced by the monitoring post. This site was digitally plotted during the South West Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset). It is not visible on the most recent comprehensive aerial images available to the project <6>.

<1> Council for British Archaeology, 1995, Defence of Britain Project, 3588 (Digital archive). SWX5.

<2> Council for British Archaeology, 2003, Defence of Britain Project Database, 3588 (Machine readable data file). SDO128.

<3> Council for British Archaeology, 2006, Defence of Britain Project Archive DEB01, 3588 (Excavation archive). SDO17227.

<4> Subterranea Britannica on-line survey (1998-2007) UK ROC and WMO Monitoring Posts (Digital archive). SDO14745.

<5> Royal Air Force, 14-MAR-1945, RAF/106G/LA/194 246 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12702.

<6> Google Earth, 2013, Google Earth 2013 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12686.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1414165 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

May 31 2023 4:48PM