MSO8084 - Target railway B, north of Selworthy Beacon (Monument)
Summary
Please read the Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record caveat document.
Type and Period (1)
Protected Status
Full Description
One of three trackways used to move targets used for tank gunnery training. Destroyed but traces can be seen on 1993 aerial photographs. [1] Slight earthworks visible on the ground. The remains of a mound at the west end (MSO8087) are covered in gorse suggesting that it contained concrete structures that could not be removed. No concrete visible but there is a tank turret in the gully at the rear of the mound (MSO8086). At the east end is a small mound of stone rubble with no concrete. In front is another large mound (MSO8085). [2] A World War Two target railway runs from SS 92123 48646 to SS 92314 48464, a length of about 270 metres. The feature is very slight; it was presumably flattened by the army at the end of the war and has been further reduced by subsequent agricultural improvement. Nevertheless it survives as a linear terrace some 9 metres wide cut into the hilside by 1.5 metres.[3] This was the site of the moving target rail for Range B, with its associated firing track on Selworthy Beacon, MSO8107. The tank that rolled down into Henners Combe during the war was a Churchill, probably of 153 RAC sometime in 1942. It apparently ran away from the firing point of Range B. [4] The target railway is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs. The terrace on which the railway was constructed is centred at SS 9221 4857 and measures 300 metres long by 12 metres wide. The railway target was one of three used for tank training during the war. [5-7]
Sources/Archives (7)
- <1> SSO405 Aerial photograph: 1993. SCC Geonex Run 3. 85.
- <2> SEM8675 Verbal communication: Various. 1900-. Somerset County Council / South West Heritage Trust staff comments. Chris Webster, SMR Officer, July 1998.
- <3> SMO7329 Unpublished document: Wilson-North, R.. Field Investigators Comments. RCHME Field Investigation, 7 April 1998.
- <4> SEM8675 Verbal communication: Various. 1900-. Somerset County Council / South West Heritage Trust staff comments. Adrian James, Email to SCC, 7 June 2006.
- <5> SMO4068 Aerial photograph: Various. Various. Vertical Aerial Photograph. RAF/106G/UK/1655 4010-4011 (1 July 1946).
- <6> SMO4068 Aerial photograph: Various. Various. Vertical Aerial Photograph. NMR OS/79013 161-162 (17 April 1979).
- <7>XY SMO7542 Archive: Severn Estuary Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment: SS 94 NW. MD000133. [Mapped feature: #38327 ]
External Links (2)
- http://www.pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=1131080 (Pastscape entry: 1131080)
- https://heritagerecords.nationaltrust.org.uk/HBSMR/MonRecord.aspx?uid=MNA168310 (National Trust HER entry: MNA168310)
Other Statuses/References
- Exmoor National Park HER Number (now deleted): MMO820
- Exmoor National Park HER Number (now deleted): MSO12339
- Local List Status (Unassessed)
- National Monuments Record reference: SS 94 NW126
- National Park: Exmoor National Park
- National Trust HER Record: MNA168310
- Pastscape HOBID (was Monarch UID): 1131080
- Somerset SMR PRN (Somerset): 35527
Location
Grid reference | Centred SS 92224 48552 (266m by 235m) (Centred on) |
---|---|
Map sheet | SS94NW |
Civil Parish | SELWORTHY, WEST SOMERSET, SOMERSET |
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (8)
- Parent of: World War Two military road at North Hill (Monument) (MSO12639)
- Parent of: World War Two observation post at Selworthy Beacon (Monument) (MSO7676)
- Parent of: World War Two observation post west of target railway on North Hill (Monument) (MSO8088)
- Parent of: World War Two or modern mound at target railway B (Monument) (MSO8094)
- Parent of: World War Two structure west of target railway on North Hill (Monument) (MSO8087)
- Part of: World War Two tank training range at Bossington and North Hill and Selworthy Beacon (Monument) (MMO627)
- Related to: Tank training circuit B on Selworthy Beacon (Monument) (MSO8107)
- Related to: World War Two tank range structure at North Hill (Monument) (MSO8085)
Related Events/Activities (2)
Related Articles (1)
Record last edited
Nov 4 2020 3:05PM
Feedback?
Your feedback is welcome. If you can provide any new information about this record, please contact us.