RAF Branscombe Chain Home Radar Station, Devon

I first heard about this site a year ago when I saw photos of it on Shaun Churchill's WW2 Airfields website. Thanks to Shaun for confirming the location for me.
The buildings are spread each side of the A3052 at King's Down Tail just west of Branscombe Cross and are situated on three separately owned sites; a business park, a farm and a caravan park. There isn't a lot of information about it but I found this tidbit on the website of the caravan park.
'Here and there can still be seen some of the defensive works of World War II. Buildings on the caravan parks were part of RAF Branscombe, the local radar station. They now house some of our amenities. This station worked in conjunction with Dunkeswell Airfield, home to the American 7th Fleet Air Wings. It was from here that Joe Kennedy Jnr. flew on his fateful mission on August 12th 1944.'
Taken from the King's Down Tail Caravan Park website: http://www.kingsdowntail.co.uk/
This has to have been one of my favourite explores as for once it wasn't so much about the photos (which is just as well as they're not my best, to say the least! ), but more to do with being there, discovering the buildings and history by talking to the people who own them and work there now.
My first task after getting off the bus at the right place was to cross the busy A3052, my first port of call being here at the King's Down Tail Business Park.



Despite the fact that I had a flask of coffee in my backpack, I couldn't resist a cappuchino at the cafe.



Talking to the two chaps that run the place, I was told that the station was connected to a military base in Honiton, where the Heathfield Business Park is now situated. This answered a question for me as I knew about an anti-tank island there, but I hadn't been able to ascertain why.



The owner came out of his office to chat and he told me that these two blocks were the officers barracks, and that what is now his office was then the bunk room of the commanding officer. When the owner bought the site 20 odd years ago it still had in it the original sink toilet and bed. He then suggested that I should go and look at another building situated on the farm across the road. "Go and see Gerry," he said "he'll tell you all about it". So I crossed the busy road again to go and see Gerry but Gerry wasn't there, so I talked to a guy who was there and he showed me the building in question. Then he flagged down another chap who was working a JCB to ask him about it. Apparently, this is thought to be the Radio Control Room, with a double thickness of reinforced walls, making it bombproof.







However, just down the road is the actual Operations Block housing the Transmitter/Receiver mast. You can just about make it out in this photo taken from the farm entrance.



Before going to see that, however, I had the cross that damn road again!



More to follow.

This is the caravan park and the buildings here have been maintained as was, containing many of the original features. This was the main station's site.















The ladies Room.





Then down the road to the Transmitter/Receiver Block. I apologise for the photos here as I just couldn't get placed to get a decent one. You really have to be there to see how huge it is. Upon the Operations room is a very tall lozenge shaped base on concrete stilts, upon which would have been the mast.



And yet once more the crossing of the road.







After that I took the next turning at Branscombe Cross onto a lane which runs down to Branscombe itself. Half-way down the first field is this building.



I don't know what this was for and couldn't get into the field to go inside and have a look, unfortunately. There is another, smaller building across the field at the end, but I couldn't see that one at all. This may have been the generator room or a secondary control room with the smaller being the generator room.

This explore gave me a real buzz and I met some really lovely people...the owner of the business park, the 2 cafe chaps, the young man and the jcb driver at the farm, the woman and her daughter on holiday at the caravan site who told me about the daughters love of WW2 history and her study of Anne Frank, the caravan park owner, and last but not least, the kindly old gent who gave me a half mile lift part way to Branscombe and who told me about his stint as a radio signaller during the war. That was great!

Cheers

Crikey FoxyLady it's all happening there! At first I thought I was looking at modern buildings and then I realised I had seen similar ones at an old disused airfield up my way! They look unreal when they are "re-loved" and once again used for a purpose. Fair enough not the original purpose but well looked after.
Thank you for putting these up.

Nice Foxy, I have a bit of a love thing going on for chain home stations, being a radio comms fan. Very nice this one is too.

WOW! You had a great day

It is great when people open up and talk, they sure were generous. Nowt wrong with the photo's either

Nice find there Foxy and good history lesson too. I drove by here today - as I often do - but had no idea these buildings were anything 'special'. I realy must pay more attention to my surroundings ! They used to sell carved wooden ducks on the decking in front of your first picture but I think the building is used for another purpose now. Good pictures btw. Cheers Tony

Ooooooh Foxy, excellent pics mate and and excellent history of the place. I'm glad to see all the buildings all in use, and being cared for. They all look in great condition too.

Cheers mate, excellent find.

Sal

Great stuff Foxylady, nice report

I hope I can shed some light on a couple of the other buildings. The first building in your second post looks like a kitchen/mess hall/concert hall combo, and the last photo in the same post looks like it might have been a stand by set house which would have contained a genny and switch room.

Sausage said:

They look unreal when they are "re-loved" and once again used for a purpose.

Click to expand...

I totally forgot to mention in the report something I thought was really important. I came away so impressed with the feeling that everyone I spoke to had the utmost pride, respect and love for the buildings. They were all looked after...even the unknown building in the field had been freshly painted...and eveyone's face lit up as they talked about them. One of the caravan park owners said that she was worried that once they retire the next owners might not want to keep the buildings, but as long as they were there they would look after them, despite the high cost of maintenance. They were so pristine! It was fantastic!

tonyque2 said:

They used to sell carved wooden ducks on the decking in front of your first picture but I think the building is used for another purpose now.

Click to expand...

I remember that! And those huge wooden mushrooms...I loved those. Do you remember the wooden bears? They still have a life-sized one outside the cafe, the entrance of which you can't see from the road. The decking building is split into two units...the cafe at one end and a horse tackle shop at the other.
I never realised myself until I saw the pics on WW2 Airfields.

krela said:

I hope I can shed some light on a couple of the other buildings. The first building in your second post looks like a kitchen/mess hall/concert hall combo, and the last photo in the same post looks like it might have been a stand by set house which would have contained a genny and switch room.

Click to expand...

Cheers Krela. I thought of you when I was out there, wondering if you'd visited here actually.
Yes that first building looks different to the others. There's a sort of sheltered entrance on the other side (inside the camp). Something else I forgot to mention...the owner said that Jack Warner's (Dixon of Dock Green) sisters used to sing and entertain the troops there!



Thanks for the info. Thinking about it, the very small building (which I didn't manage to see) would have been too small for the genny, etc. No idea what it could have been for though. I'll put a link to the WW2 Airfields Branscombe photos in a mo.

Here's the link to photos on the WW2 Airfields & Radar Stations website. He'd had the good idea to visit when there were no leaves on the trees and before the mast base was hidden so you can see the shape mush better on his pics.

http://worldwar2airfields.fotopic.net/c1036447.html

Thanks for your comments everyone.
It was indeed a great day out, Neosea. A bit of a tour de force...8 straight hours from catching the bus to posting the report. Flopped down and went straight to sleep after for three hours!

Nice explore and pics, Foxy! What's happening there, they look like folk are living in them?

Thanks Bryag. The first 2 blocks are now small industrial units and the other blocks belong to the caravan park and are now used to house some of the amenities...games room, shower block, toilets, etc.

A right propa Report Foxy!

Very interesting. Nice to see that some of the original buildings are being put to good use, instead of being left to fall down Sounds like crossing the road was the biggest challenge?

Thanks for sharing your snaps. Is good seeing another report from ya.

Lb:jimlad:

Foxylady said:

Thanks Bryag. The first 2 blocks are now small industrial units and the other blocks belong to the caravan park and are now used to house some of the amenities...games room, shower block, toilets, etc.

Click to expand...

Ah right! This one....



....Looks very residential. It is great they are still being used and cared for, most are just left to rot- or worse still, demolished

Superb find and great to talk to someone about history of site

Lightbuoy said:

Sounds like crossing the road was the biggest challenge?

Click to expand...

You're not wrong there, Lb. Thanks for your nice comments.

It really impressed me how much care had gone into keeping and using these buildings. Jock1966, it was amazing how much extra info I picked up from the people I talked to. Without that I would have missed the radio control room completely, as I didn't even realise that building had been part of the station.

Cheers everyone.