Monument record MDO44659 - World War Two type 24 pillbox, Thorncombe

A World War II type 24 pillbox located to the northeast of Broom Bridge, at Holditch, near Axminster. It was constructed in 1940-41, is of breeze block and concrete and formed part of the Taunton Stop Line. Vertical wooden inserts are present on the upper parts of the walls and on the sloping bevel of the roof, these might have been used to attach camouflage boarding. A field visit in 1996 found the pillbox to be in good condition.

Type 24 pillbox facing W to cover River Axe. Part of Taunton Stop Line.Type 24 pillbox, thick-walled, shuttered with breeze-blocks. Set well into the SE side of the railway embankment with the doorway facing SE. On the upper parts of the walls and on the sloping bevel of the roof there are vertical wooden inserts between the blocks. These inserts might have been used to attach camouflage boarding, nets, etc.
NE of Broom Bridge, Broom Lane, Holditch, nr. Axminster, on E side of railway embankment. <1> <2>

A World War II type 24 pillbox located to the northeast of Broom Bridge, at Holditch, near Axminster. It was constructed in 1940-41, is of breeze block and concrete and formed part of the Taunton Stop Line. Vertical wooden inserts are present on the upper parts of the walls and on the sloping bevel of the roof, these might have been used to attach camouflage boarding. A field visit in 1996 found the pillbox to be in good condition. The anti invasion defence works at Wadbrook formed part of the Taunton Stop Line which ran from Seaton on the Devon coast to Highbridge on the Bristol Channel. The Line which primarily followed natural waterways such as the River Axe and River Parrett was put in place to stop enemy advance from the west and the Devon, Somerset or Cornish coasts. The line was constructed by 551st and 552nd Army Troops Company Royal Engineers and manned in 1940 and 1941 by the 48th Division of VIII Corps. Later the Wadbrook sector of the Line was manned by the Axminster Company of the Seaton Battalion Home Guard.The main anti tank obstacle at Wadbrook was the River Axe, the banks of which were cut and steepened. This line was strengthened with a variety of concrete man made obstacles, pillboxes and artificial ditches. <4>

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

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

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

<4> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1416314 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Nov 11 2022 2:44PM