SDO21437 - Archaeological Assessment at Sandford Heath Light Anti-Aircraft Tower, Holton Heath, Wareham St Martin, Sandford, Dorset

'An Archaeological Assessment was carried out for Natural England, the government’s advisor for the natural environment, at Sandford Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) Tower, located on Holton Heath Nature Reserve, in the parish of Wareham St. Martin, Sandford, Dorset (NGR SY 93966 90239). The tower is a scheduled monument, and the aim of the archaeological work was to provide an assessment of the structure and undertake detailed recording in line with a level 2 building recording strategy. The methodology included a site visit, full 3d photogrammetric recording of the structure in its current state of preservation, alongside a photographic, drawn, and written record of the tower. This recording strategy and report was requested at the pre-planning phase in advance of a potential programme of re-stabilisation, consolidation, and repurposing of the structure as a visitor viewing platform. The archaeological recording action and assessment has demonstrated that the LAA tower at Sandford Heath comprises a good example of such few structures that exist in the U.K, and that many original features of the tower survive.'