MMO3195 - World War Two military training earthworks on Halscombe Allotment (Monument)

A concentration of low mounds and slit trenches is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs of 1946. They are evidence of the military training activities that took place over much of this area during the years of the Second World War.

A concentration of low mounds and slit trenches is visible on aerial photographs of 1946 as earthworks centred on circa SS 8190 3380, Halscombe Common. The trenches are generally very short excavations of less than 3 metres length, and less than one metre wide. They are grouped in three clusters centred at SS 8179 3369, SS 8183 3375 and SS 8189 3380. It is probable that the slit trenches have some kind of auxiliary role to the larger features visible in this area. The precise form these take is difficult to ascertain from the aerial photographs, but they appear to be low sub-circular earthwork mounds or surface scoops up to 15 metres in diameter. Similar features have been recorded in military training areas elsewhere on Exmoor and a tentative interpretation of the features as temporary field-gun emplacements has been suggested; their common arrangement into arcs or flattened V formations resembles that seen in more permanent anti-aircraft artillery emplacements. The earthworks are evidence of the military training activity that occurred over much of this area during the Second World War date. Further evidence of military activity can be seen on Hawkridge Common to the north and Withypool Hill to the east. The earthworks cannot be seen on later aerial photographs and have probably been levelled. [1-3] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [4]