Taunton Stopline - Wrantage - Oct 2011

Derelict Places

Help Support Derelict Places:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Munchh

Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2010
Messages
897
Reaction score
681
Location
The arsehole of the Cosmos
History and info

Taunton Stopline

“A World War 2 anti-invasion stop line, facing west, built between July and November 1940. The stop line runs for approximately 50 miles from the mouth of River Brue to the mouth of the River Axe in Devon (with some infrastructure in Dorset). Some rear positions were prepared to the E of line. It connected to the ‘GHQ Line Green’ running East along River Brue.

The line followed the River Parrett to Bridgwater where it joined the Bridgwater to Taunton Canal. From Creech St Michael it followed the old Chard Canal until SW of Ilton where it joined the Great Western Railway. The line left the GWR to the north of Chard Junction from where it followed the Southern Railway and River Axe running south into Devon.

The planned infrastructure (most of which was built) included 233 pillboxes, 61 medium machine gun emplacements, 21 anti-tank gun emplacements, 83 road blocks, 22 railway blocks and 46 demolitions.

The anti-tank obstacle consisted of about 24 miles of waterways, 7 miles of improved water obstacles, 11 miles of anti-tank ditches and 8 miles of artificial obstacles (eg cubes).

From autumn 1940, twelve locations were prepared for all-round defence as ‘anti-tank islands’ of which 9 were in Somerset - Bridgwater, Durston, Creech St Michael, Wrantage and Crimson Hill, Ilton, Ilminster, Chard, Forton and Perry Street.”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Chard Canal

From Wikipedia;

“The Chard Canal was a 13.5 miles (21.7 km) tub boat canal in Somerset, England, that ran from the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal at Creech St. Michael, over four aqueducts, through three tunnels and four inclined planes to Chard. It was completed in 1842, was never commercially viable, and closed in 1868. The major engineering features are still clearly visible in the landscape.”


My thanks and acknowledgment once again to Krela for providing the photos of the original construction plans and other 1940/1941 documentation included in this report.

Wrantage and Crimson Hill. Jan 1941

Wrantage-1.jpg


CurryMallet-1.jpg


Wrantage and Crimson Hill. Present day

GE map shots legend

Orange – AT ditches
Yellow – Scarping
White – AT posts
Blue – Barbed wire
Black – Railway
Light blue - Canal

Wrantage_North.jpg


Wrantage_South.jpg


This section of the line also forms the western flank of the Wrantage Anti tank Island.

Starting at the north end of the line, the first thing I came across was the disused Canal aqueduct;

DSCF3301.jpg


DSCF3300.jpg


N 86 – Type 24, modified – 51° 0'0.53"N, 2°59'29.43"W

From the DOB – “An unusual pillbox based on a type 24 but which has subsequently had another chamber added along the outside of the rear wall. Inside the rear wall retains its loops and the chamber has a loop for a bren gun. The new door is on the left side at the end of the added chamber. Presumably added as part of the anti tank island defences when its rear would be exposed."


DSCF3320.jpg


DSCF3318.jpg


DSCF3317.jpg


DSCF3312.jpg


M AT 601 – Drg. No. TL55, Gun Emplacement - 50°59'57.70"N, 2°59'24.10"W

Bit of a find as it’s not on the DOB, another one for the Capn to add. In excellent condition too.

DSCF3308.jpg


DSCF3306.jpg


DSCF3305.jpg


DSCF3303.jpg


DSCF3311.jpg


M AT 602 - Drg. No. TL55, Gun Emplacement – S0007199 - 50°59'48.82"N, 2°59'12.75"W

In a farmyard atop the canal bank

DSCF3324.jpg


DSCF3322.jpg


M 1b – Type 24 LMG emp – S0000370 - 50°59'47.19"N, 2°59'11.59"W

Again atop the canal bank across the dismantled aqueduct from M AT 602

DSCF1255.jpg


AT Cubes – Crimson Hill - Starting above the canal tunnel entrance 50°59'38.30"N, 2°58'57.59"W and running south east, 18 in total – S0000278

Some of our colleagues from another forum took 3 inflatable boats up the canal tunnel a while back.

In 1940 it was used for storing mines.

DSCF3331.jpg


DSCF3335.jpg


DSCF3333.jpg


DSCF3326.jpg


DSCF1250.jpg


DSCF1249.jpg


The muddy lane I had to wade through to get here. The things we do!

DSCF3325.jpg


M 61 – Type 24 – S0000280 - 50°59'33.87"N, 2°58'56.29"W

Dug well in to the hillside. Some corrugated iron shuttering lying in the entrance.

DSCF3340.jpg


DSCF3339.jpg


DSCF3336.jpg


MV 1 – Vickers HMG – S0000288 - 50°59'33.72"N, 2°58'48.77"W

The first of the pair and in top condition. Seriously steep climb to get to but worth it for the view at the end.

DSCF3352.jpg


DSCF3350.jpg


DSCF3349.jpg


DSCF3346.jpg


DSCF3343.jpg


MV 1a – Vickers HMG – S0000286 - 50°59'33.15"N, 2°58'49.79"W

DSCF3357.jpg


DSCF3354.jpg


The view from the top of MV 1. Best part of the day, just the walk back now.

DSCF3358.jpg



Thanks for looking in.:)
 
Last edited:
Stunning report that and I do like the covered gun emplacements though I think I would be asking the farmer if I could look at the one in his yard. :)
 
Stunning report that and I do like the covered gun emplacements though I think I would be asking the farmer if I could look at the one in his yard. :)

Thanks mate.

These gun emplacements are peculiar to this line as far as I know. They weren't originally forseen as having overhead cover so policy changed somewhere between conception and execution.

The one in the farmyard is also Drg. No. TL 55 and I will be going back to ask for a look just in case there's anything unusual about it though NC.
 
Last edited:
Thanks mate.

These gun emplacements are peculiar to this line as far as I know. They weren't originally forseen as having overhead cover so policy changed somewhere between conception and execution.

The one in the farmyard is also Drg. No. TL 62 and I will be going back to ask for a look just in case there's anything unusual about it though NC.

It's pretty tough to get to. The farmer is very friendly though. :)
 
History and infoM AT 601 – Drg. No. TL62, Gun Emplacement - 50°59'57.70"N, 2°59'24.10"W

Bit of a find as it’s not on the DOB, another one for the Capn to add. In excellent condition too.

I think this is what's listed as a type 28 S0000310. I've moved the placemark and changed the type to Anti Tank Gun Emplacement.

Did you not get to the two VMG boxes just to the west of the modified T24?
 
It's pretty tough to get to. The farmer is very friendly though. :)

Yeah it looked a bit of a climb and I was losing the light. Will check in with the farmer for a look when I complete the ATI. Thanks Krela.

I think this is what's listed as a type 28 S0000310. I've moved the placemark and changed the type to Anti Tank Gun Emplacement.

Did you not get to the two VMG boxes just to the west of the modified T24?

That's how it looks Capn, good spot! The engineers had it plotted in a different position too! I didn't expect to find it where they indicated on the map, I would have been able to see sign of it on GE. I knew it had to be on the canal bank but didn't make the connection to S 0000310.

I had intended to visit the two VMG boxes. Suffice it to say that these are winter visits and had you been there with me you'd have seen why. :lol: I was attacked by every piece of vegetation known to man and I've got the scars to prove it.

PS: I've corrected the drg. no. to TL 55 having just spotted my error.
 
NV18 and 19 are on the side of a field protected by magical teleporting / invisibility shielded heifers & bullocks. Or at least they were when I went to see them.
 
Fabulous finds (searches, I should say! :mrgreen: ) and reports as always, Munchh. Great to see some canal goodness too...love the viaduct.
Cheers. :)

Thanks Foxy. The merging of the canal and stopline gives this section nearly 170 years of history.

It's getting time to head your way. I'll PM you when I know dates etc in case you want to come with.

NV18 and 19 are on the side of a field protected by magical teleporting / invisibility shielded heifers & bullocks. Or at least they were when I went to see them.

Well I noticed the 'cloaking technology' but I didn't realise the buggers could teleport as well. No wonder it felt so crowded in there sometimes.

You know what it's like though, sometimes a goal can become impractical for a number of reasons and you realise that plan 'A' has just become plan 'F'. :)
 
It's getting time to head your way. I'll PM you when I know dates etc in case you want to come with.
That would be great Munchh...look forward to that.

Well I noticed the 'cloaking technology' but I didn't realise the buggers could teleport as well.
Cats have transporting/invisibility cloaking devices too! Mine can also be in two places at once. Sneaky beasties. :mrgreen:
 
Top report there Munchh. Keep up that legwork so i can kick back sipping the beer and admiring the photos.:)

Excellent views from the embrasures too. Nice to see someone wading through the mud but not the thicket!
 

Latest posts

Back
Top