MMO632 - World War Two home radar stand-by generator power house on North Hill (Monument)

Summary

The building is visible as a structure on aerial photographs. The flat roofed concrete structure is likely to have housed a standby generator for the operations block located to the north. The concrete pad and access staircase are still extant.

Please read the Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record .

Type and Period (1)

Protected Status

Full Description

A concrete pad, the base of the stand-by set block for the World War Two radar station on North Hill, lies near Moor Wood at SS 95397 47680. It was recorded as part of the RCHME survey of the ENPA holding on North Hill. Full details in survey report. [1] SS 9539 4767 A Second World War chain home radar stand-by generator power house, visible as a structure, was mapped from aerial photographs taken in 1946 and 1947. Located on Minehead's North Hill, 343 metres southwest of Greenaleigh Farm and immediately west of the path leading from Hill Road north towards the farm, the flat roofed concrete structure is part of a Coastal Defence/Chain Home Low (CD/CHL) radar station and likely to have housed a standby generator for the operations block located a standby generator for the operations block located 37 metres to the north, which would have been used if the main power generator set, located in a building 20 metres to the northeast, failed. The building is rectangular, about 11 metres long north to south and 5 metres wide east to west and appears to be a Nissen type hut. Although the concrete base remains extant, the building was no longer visible in 1950. [2-5] The building is shown on 1946 aerial photographs as a Nissen type structure and is unlikely to have produced the rubble to the east. This rubble is the remains of another building which was the stand-by set building. [7]

Sources/Archives (7)

  • <1> Report: Riley, H. and Wilson-North, R.. 1997. The field archaeology of North Hill: An archaeological survey of the Exmoor National Park holding.
  • <2> Archive: Severn Estuary Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment: SS 94 NE. MD000134.
  • <3> Aerial photograph: Various. Various. Vertical Aerial Photograph. RAF 106G/UK/1655 4004-4005 11-JUL-1946.
  • <4> Aerial photograph: Various. Various. Vertical Aerial Photograph. RAF/CPE/UK/1980 4025 11-APR-1947.
  • <5> Aerial photograph: Various. Various. Vertical Aerial Photograph. RAF 541/544 3003-3005 01-JUN-1950.
  • <6> Website: Various. Various. World Wide Web page. Subterranea Britannica http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/m/margam/index.shtml.
  • <7> Verbal communication: Webster, CJ. Mar 1998. Somerset HER staff comments.

External Links (1)

Other Statuses/References

  • Exmoor National Park HER Number (now deleted): MSO12474
  • Exmoor National Park HER Number (now deleted): MSO7597
  • Local List Status (Unassessed)
  • National Monuments Record reference: SS 94 NE62
  • Pastscape HOBID (was Monarch UID): 1102228
  • Somerset SMR PRN: 35675

Map

Location

Grid reference Centred SS 9539 4767 (7m by 12m) (Aerial Survey)
Map sheet SS94NE
Civil Parish MINEHEAD WITHOUT, WEST SOMERSET, SOMERSET

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Events/Activities (3)

Record last edited

Aug 17 2020 12:21PM

Feedback?

Your feedback is welcome. If you can provide any new information about this record, please contact us.