Monument record MWX1417 - Second World War anti-tank blocks, Ringstead, Owermoigne

A group of six dispersed Second World War anti tank cubes are visible as extant structures on aerial photographs of Ringstead beach taken in 1949. One of these is considered likely to be the anti-tank block originally described in detail in this record.

An anti-tank block. It is built on a 10ft approximate concrete base with half inch iron reinforcing rods protruding through the bottom. Approximately 4ft square and 4ft high with a 9ins apex on top. On the exposed side (remainder buried in sand) there is a 4ins x 24ins long thin iron bracket which may have been used to hold a flag [?]. Further down the same side is a 4ins wide x 2ins deep groove that was case as an original feature. Two half inch iron reinforcing rods are exposed in this groove. No other anti-tank blocks are in evidence at this location. <1-3>

A group of six dispersed Second World War anti tank cubes are visible as extant structures on aerial photographs of Ringstead beach taken in 1949 <4>. One of these is considered likely to be the anti-tank block originally described in detail in this record. They are not visible on the most recent comprehensive aerial imagery available to the project. These features were digitally plotted during the South West Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset).

<1> Council for British Archaeology, 1995, Defence of Britain Project, S0000068 (Digital archive). SWX5.

<2> Council for British Archaeology, 2003, Defence of Britain Project Database, S0000068 (Machine readable data file). SDO128.

<3> Council for British Archaeology, 2006, Defence of Britain Project Archive DEB01, S0000068 (Excavation archive). SDO17227.

<4> Royal Air Force, 18-NOV-1949, RAF 541/402 F20 3006-7 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12920.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1416286 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 6 2024 4:37PM