Taunton Stopline – Somerset - March 2011

[Munchh]

The history of Britains stoplines are well known to us PB hunters. For those wishing to know more about this particular one, this thread will tell you;

[ame]http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?t=16334[/ame]


Picking up from where I left off with the Forton Anti Tank Island, I ventured further south along the old Chard branch line track bed to explore the stretch between the dismantled Forton rail bridge and Lower Coombes near Tatworth. The railway is long gone but our anti invasion defences linger on gracefully and lend themselves to all manner of wildlife and nature as homes or playgrounds.

I explored this area of the stopline as a child without knowing quite what these strange concrete structures were, only that they provided hours of summer fun. As an adult my appreciation of their purpose gives me a feeling of pride in my grandfathers generation. On a different level, the joy of youth revisited.

It struck me, as it always does on this sort of venture, that when hunting down stopline defences you get to appreciate countryside you just wouldn’t see under normal circumstances. One of the pleasures of this somewhat obsessive pastime I guess.

As usual the headings contain the original 1940 serial numbers for each PB along with its type. DOB numbers are also given for reference where available. A GE map shot of the area is shown below.

And on with the pics. Along the trackbed itself there are a large number of AT cubes as shown on the map shot. These are interspersed with AT ditches to just beyond Blackland lane weir.

Forton rail bridge

All that remains of the dismantled rail bridge

AT cubes at Blackland Lane

The Weir, couldn't resist

AT cubes and Roadblock at the Farm entrance

You can just see the slot in this one for positioning the steel beams in the roadblock

AT Wall

Pillbox M 26, Type 24

Not accessible unfortunately but camera through the embrasure usually does the trick.

A Railblock and more AT cubes, showing the slot for the beam. It's partner has gone AWOL I'm afraid.

Pillbox M44, Type 24 – S0002982

I love the way this one dominates you as you stand in the cutting looking up and from here you can see along the old line for a hundred yards in both directions. The most undergrowth free section I've seen in a while.

Corrugated iron shuttering still in place on the ceiling.

Pillbox M 27, Type 24

That’s all for this time folks. Hope you enjoyed it and thanks for looking in.

 

[jonney]

Cracking stuff there Munchh. Looking at this photo mate it looks like the block on the left is another part of a road block with a slot in it

 

[night crawler]

Dam it I really need to meet up with you down there. Some superb shots there though there did look to be a way into that pillbox from the embrasure shot. Looks like your starting to get methodical in your explorations and showing me up.

 

[Foxylady]

Yup, looks like I need to get cracking with the rest of my TS area too, before there's too much undergrowth. Good stuff, Munchh. A great incentive for me to get on with some PB'ing again.

 

[podman]

some suberb pics there

 

[Munchh]

Cracking stuff there Munchh. Looking at this photo mate it looks like the block on the left is another part of a road block with a slot in it

Thanks mate. Yes I see why you say that Jonney. Truth is it's actually one of these on its side probably toppled at some point by the farmer. The 'slot' is actually a square hole in the underside of the cube and the ones here are the large 5' tall variety. The concrete on some of them looks cleaner and different somehow and I did wonder if they were later additions to the line.

Curiously, the section between M 26 and M 44 is missing from the original plans so I can't easily check when this section was built (cubes are marked but not given numbers except when part of a road or railblock). It's also odd that M 44 is in the line between M 26 and M 27 whereas the numbering is usually sequential. All three are confirmed as built on the schedule of completed works dated Nov 1940 though. The other unknown is whether the plans and the schedule are from exactly the same date, Krela will know, I'll ask him.

Dam it I really need to meet up with you down there. Some superb shots there though there did look to be a way into that pillbox from the embrasure shot. Looks like your starting to get methodical in your explorations and showing me up.

Cheers NC. You're always welcome down here. You can get into the PB but doing so would have put me in full view of the farm and involved climbing barbed wire through undergrowth. Maybe I should have said not easily accessible, well spotted.

Yup, looks like I need to get cracking with the rest of my TS area too, before there's too much undergrowth. Good stuff, Munchh. A great incentive for me to get on with some PB'ing again.

Indeed dear lady. If you need a lift you only have to ask, you know it. Btw did you get to the follys at you know where yet?

 

[Foxylady]

...If you need a lift you only have to ask, you know it. Btw did you get to the follys at you know where yet?

Cheers, Munchh. I should be okay from Bosshill Cross to Axminster at least.
No, I haven't yet. Still planning to visit, though.

 

[fluffy5518]

Munchhy !! A well put together and reserched post !! Just goes to show that some on here take pretty pictures whilst others record our history.Crackin'stuff mate keep it up !!
PS This goes for you too Mr Crawler !!!