NEWS FROM EXMOOR NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY

ROADWATER PILLBOX

An important piece of local history, the Roadwater pillbox, has been conserved thanks to support from owners Mr & Mrs Evers and funding from the Monument Management Scheme, a partnership between Exmoor National Park Authority and English Heritage to conserve Exmoor’s Scheduled Ancient Monuments.

Situated at the entrance of Vale House in Roadwater the pillbox is perched on the corner of the road and the private drive. In design it appears to be type 24 pillbox, one of the most commonly constructed in the south-west. This irregular brick built hexagonal pillbox could have garrisoned 8 men and formed part of the North Somerset inland defence.

In 1940 a network of defences was hastily built all over the British Isles to prevent an anticipated German invasion. The most common of these defences were called “pillboxes”, squat concrete forts that were sited at road junctions, canals and other strategic points. With the passage of time it is estimated that less than 6,000 of a total of 28,000 pillboxes built still survive. They remain as permanent monuments to the courage and tenacity of the British people.

The Roadwater pillbox is remarkable because it was originally disguised as a small garden building with a pitched shingle roof and painted windows; all pillboxes were camouflaged, but few were disguised. Other examples were built or adapted to resemble bus shelters, signal boxes and seaside kiosks.

In 2002 in view of the importance of the surviving wooden roof the pillbox was selected for scheduling by English Heritage. Unfortunately, following pre-notification of the site becoming a Scheduled Ancient Monument, the roof decayed beyond repair and had to be removed.

During 2006 Exmoor National Park Authority, English Heritage and the owner of the site have worked to restore the pitched shingle roof. The conservation building work was carried out by Steve Cornish of P.J Taylor builders; Mr Taylor’s father was a sergeant in the Home Guard and used the pillbox during the war. Jessica Turner, conservation archaeology advisor with Exmoor National Park Authority said: “It was quite a difficult undertaking to fix a rectangular pitched roof to an irregular hexagon, but we are delighted that the work is now complete and the pillbox has been restored to its disguised glory.”