Second World War defensive features, including slit trenching, gun emplacements and barbed wire, located at the southern boundary of St Hereson School, mapped from military aerial photographs taken in 1941 and 1942.

Defensive features are first visible in January 1941 [1], comprising two circular gun emplacements with central pintles, located beside the railway track along with two small areas of slit trenching situated at the southern boundary of the school, approximately 140m apart. These measure approximately 30m and 17m. By May 1942 [2] the two trench systems have been linked by a long slit trench running along the school's boundary although the earlier slit trench to the east looks backfilled by this date. The only other addition by May 1942 is the quantity of barbed wire visible, enclosing several of the military features.

Other features seen on the 1941 photographs include three structures that are not visible on the 1938 Epoch 4 1:2500 historic mapping so were presumably constructed for a military purpose. They are located in a row in a field adjacent to the school and each measure 7m by 5m. Along the southern edge of Dumpton Park Drive there are other signs of military defence features including a short length of trench (measuring 9m in length) and bank, two more short lengths of ditch. At the junction with Dumpton Gap Road a small structure is visible on the January 1941 photographs, measuring 3.5m by 3m and is a possible pillbox. Close to the southern-most gun emplacement there is another series of slit trenching and banks.

The barbed wire is gone by April 1946, and the two gun emplacements by April 1950. The remaining features are all still apparent on photographs taken in April 1950 but the area is fully developed as housing by 1973.

St Hereson School was formerly the Holy Cross Convalescence Home (for girls) and was closed during the Second World War, presumably being commandeered by the military being in close proximity to the Dumpton Gap Anti-Aircraft battery to the south, and thus the reason for extra defence features at the southern boundary.

A transcription of the features recorded from aerial photography exists within a GIS layer held by this HER [3].

<3> Wessex Archaeology, 2009-10, South-East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey - Aerial Photographic Transcriptions (Digital archive). SWX15705.

<3> Wessex Archaeology, 2011, South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey - (SE RCZAS) Phase 1: National Mapping Programme Report (Unpublished document). SKE25955.

<3> Cornwall Council Historic Environment Projects and Gloucestershire County Council, 2011, South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey National Mapping Programme Components 1&2: Results of NMP Mapping (Unpublished document). SKE25954.