Taunton Stop Line

Blasting chambers under a bridge over the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal

The Taunton Stop Line was a British line of defense built in south-west England during World War II . This defense system runs approximately 80 km through Somerset , Dorset and Devon , roughly from Axminster to Chard along the River Ax , then along the Great Western Railway to Ilminster via Taunton and Bridgwater along the River Parret to the coast to Highbridge. This line of defense was built against a potential German landing in England ( Operation Sea Lion ). The strategic goal of the defense line was to slow down a possible rapid German advance with armored units from the west. The position consisted of so-called pillbox bunkers.

gallery

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  Pillbox bunker on the Taunton Stop Line.

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  Vickers medium machine gun position in Taunton Stop Line

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  Anti-tank barrier

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  Railway barrier

See also

• Coquet stop line
• General Headquarters Line
• Outer London Defense Ring
• Tyne Stop Line

Web links

• http://www.pillboxes-somerset.com Somerset pillboxes
• http://www.pillboxesuk.co.uk UK Invasion Defense Remains
• http://www.ukfortsclub.org.uk/wood_index/b.html
• http://www.somerset.gov.uk/her
• http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/dob/ Council for British Archeology 'Defense of Britain' project
• "The Stop Line Way Multi-user Path Seaton to Colyford and Cloakham Lawn to Weycroft East Devon" - An Archaeological Desk-based Assessment ( part 1 ; PDF; 4.0 MB) and ( part 2 ; PDF; 2.6 MB)
• Land off Morton Way, Axminster, Devon - A Limited Archaeological Excavation and Recording Program (pdf) In: Archeology Data Service . Context One Archaeological Services 2010. 2010. Retrieved May 14, 2011.