RAF Branscombe Chain Home Radar Station, King's Down Tail, Devon

I first heard about this site when I saw photos of it on Shaun Churchill's wonderful WW2 Airfields website (sadly no longer existing), which he kindly confirmed the location for me.
 
Using radar as an early warning signal of aircraft by the reflection of radio waves was developed by Robert Watson Watt and Arnold Wilkins from 1936 onwards. After successful trials at Bawdsey on the Suffolk coast, a chain of stations was gradually built around British coasts, codenamed Chain Home, and was the first early warning radar network in the world. As each station could detect aircraft within a distance of a hundred miles, it was one of the most powerful defences - and also weapons - in WW2, as not only was it used to avoid and defend attacks but also as a means of knowing where to attack as soon as enemy aircraft took to the skies, which made it a crucial component of the Battle of Britain.   

The buildings are spread each side of the A3052 at King's Down Tail just west of Branscombe Cross and are situated on three separately owned sites; a business park, a farm and a caravan park. It turned out to be a great explore just being there, discovering the buildings and history, and talking to the people who own and/or work there now. 

So, after getting off the bus and crossing the busy A3052, my first port of call was here at the King's Down Tail Business Park.

After taking a few photos, and despite the fact that I had a flask of coffee in my backpack, I couldn't resist a cappuchino at the cafe! 

Talking to the two chaps that run the place, I was told that the station was connected to a military base in Honiton, where the Heathfield Business Park is now situated. This answered a question for me as I knew there was an anti-tank island there, which makes sense for it to be at that particular location.
 

The owner came out of his office to chat and he told me that these two blocks were the officers barracks, and that what is now his office was then the commanding officer's bunk room. When the owner bought the site 20 odd years ago the original sink, toilet and bed were still inside. 

   

He then suggested that I should go and look at another building situated on the farm across the road. "Go and see Gerry," he said "he'll tell you all about it". So I crossed the busy road again to go and see Gerry...but Gerry wasn't there, so I talked to another chap and he showed me the building in question, which is thought to be the Radio Control Room.  Constructed with two separate sets of reinforced walls, one room inside another, making it strong enough to withstand bombing.

Further along the road is the Operations Block housing the Transmitter/Receiver mast. You can just about see it with its modern mast in the two photos below, taken from the farm entrance.

However, before going to see that I had to cross the road again! ;)

This is King's Down Tail Caravan Park, now on the site of the main living quarters where the original buildings have been maintained and used for some of their facilities, containing many of the original features.

I found this tidbit on the caravan park website:

''Here and there can still be seen some of the defensive works of World War II. Buildings on the caravan parks were part of RAF Branscombe, the local radar station. They now house some of our amenities. This station worked in conjunction with Dunkeswell Airfield, home to the American 7th Fleet Air Wings. It was from here that Joe Kennedy Jnr. flew on his fateful mission on August 12th 1944.''  www.kingsdowntail.co.uk

Interestingly, the stations and radar operations were mostly ran by the Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF).

Now the leisure rooms for the park, the main buildings are beautifully maintained. 

I met one of the owners and had a chat. Unfortunately it was her husband that had researched all the WW2 information and he was away that day...just like Gerry! ;)

 

 

Above shows the original fittings in the ladies loo. I had a chat to a holiday maker whilst there, and her daughter who was studying WW2 at school, both of whom were very interested in the buildings and their original uses.

 Aaaaand back across the road again! ;)
 

Then down the road to the Transmitter/Receiver Block. An excellent view can be seen from the top deck of the bus but it's hard to get any decent photos from the ground, which is a shame as they don't convey just how huge it is. And to get a decent overall photo I had to cross the road, then back again!

Closer up, however, the photo below shows the entrance to the Operations Room with steps at the side leading up to the lozenge-shaped base on concrete stilts. Upon this sits a tall concrete block with the mast situated on top of that.

This time I didn't have to cross the road again, but continued to the next turning at Branscombe Cross which runs down to Branscombe itself. Half-way down the first field is this building, below. I couldn't get into the field to see inside the building, but I think it was the Secondary Control Room. There is another, smaller building across the other side of the field, which was a radar set house with a buried generator and switch room.
 

This explore really meant a lot to me and to top it all, after meeting so many fab people, a kindly elderly gent who gave me a lift half-way to Branscombe turned out to have been a radio signaller during the war. What an amazing bit of synchronicity! :) 



 

WW2 Coastal Defences, Branscombe, Devon

Adjacent to the sea, and half way up a fairly steep cliff path, sits one of the two pillboxes still remaining in Branscombe. Unfortunately, I couldn't locate the other one, therefore it may either have been demolished, or the Defence of Britain Data-base sighting was incorrectly placed. I found this type difficult to identify as it doesn't seem to fit the main types. It may either be a variant or some of the embrasures have been bricked up or just hidden by the banked earth. The nearest in shape is a Type 23, but it doesn't have the open-air gun position at one end.

The building on top of the hill behind the pillbox was once a row of coastguard cottages, later on an hotel, and now a private residence.

I did hear that WW2 signage can still be seen inside this emplacement. Unfortunately the field was full of cattle and I was reluctant to scramble over the fence to find out...especially as one of the cows appeared to be guarding the entrance! Not that I'm afraid of cows, but I was brought up in a farming community so I know from experience how inquisitive they can be, and I didn't fancy a group hug with me in the middle, lol.

According to the Defence of Britain Database there is a short section left of some Anti-tank blocks. I went to the spot indicated on Google earth and found these Tetrahedron, which with their truncated or fully pointed pyramid shape are also known as 'Dragon's Teeth'. As the name suggests, they were strung across the beach to prevent tanks from invading inland after disembarking from boats. 

I was really excited about this as I'd never seen any for myself before. Still used as barriers, the ones above are directly on the sea front to prevent anyone from driving any further. There are also more in the car park itself too, such as those below.

And a final look back from inland across the valley and towards the sea. Not very easy to see, but the building to the right of centre is the erstwhile coastguard cottages with the pillbox situated just below.

 

Maiden Castle Hill Fort, Nr Dorchester, Dorset

This is one of the largest and most complex Iron Age hillforts in Europe, and certainly the largest in Britain. Comprising multiple ramparts, the area inside would have protected several hundred people.

The earliest evidence of activity consisted of a Neolithic causeway enclosure and bank barrow. During the Bronze age, around 1800 BC, it was an agricultural site. Castle is an Old English word for camp or encampment, not to be confused with the Mediaeval strongholds built in stone, and it was this encampment that was built around 600 BC. It was pretty much like any other hill fort in Britain, until circa 450 BC when major expansion occurred. The enclosed area was almost tripled in size, and the defences made more complex with additional ramparts and ditches.

The entrance on the North-West side is brilliant to walk through as it shows the extent and complexity of the defences.

The sheep must love it too as there were a lot of them dotted about grazing on the slopes. 

Subsequent excavations produced an extensive cemetery, revealing evidence of death during battle. This was thought to be during an attack at the time of the Roman invasion, and the remains of a Roman temple bears out the fact that the invaders had clearly gained access and taken control of the site.
  
The remains of the Roman temple below.

This was my second visit to Maiden Castle. The first time was with an A-Level Archaeology adult education class in 1996, along with visits to Maumbury Rings and the Roman Town House as seen in my last post. On that visit we didn't walk around the perimeter but stood shivering while listening to a lecture from a visiting professor on a cold, windy and drizzly day.
 

This visit was made in September 2008, just a week off twelve years ago to the day. Although at the end of a long day spent visiting other prehistoric sites in Wiltshire it was such a lovely, relaxing stroll along the embankments on a warm and sunny late afternoon. Altogether a different experience!

My favourite photo of the day, below, was taken when walking back around the perimeter towards the setting sun in the west and just before the extensive ramparts on the southern side.

 
And to finish off, a final look back at the ramparts. :)