MSO12288 - World War Two radar station military complex southwest of Greenaleigh Farm (Monument)

A radar station survives in good condition. [1] The form of the transmitter block (MSO12473) indicates that this was a Coast Defence/Chain Home Low station. [2] The site was operational by Feburary 1942 and was listed as Coast Artillery use in January 1944. [3] War diary of 558 Regt Coast artillery (7 May 1942). "The Regt took over and put into operation new CD/CHL set M116 manned by No 78 COD near Minehead. Map ref of set T 394694 /g" [4] Cassini grid reference converts to SS 9541 4777, just to the northwest of the correct location. [5] The radar station was not yet operational in July 1941. [6] SS 9540 4769 A Second World War Coastal Defence/Chain Home Low radar station, visible as a number of structures, was mapped from aerial photographs taken in 1946 and 1947. Located adjacent to the tank training area on North Hill, west of Minehead, SW of Greenaleigh Farm and N of Hill Road, the site consists of an operations block, a power block and standby set block, administrative buildings and defensive slit trenches, accessed by a military road, about 180 metres long by 3 metres wide, from Hill Road. Manned by No 78 COD, CD/CHL set number M116 was operational by February 1942 and was listed as Coast Artillery use in January 1944. By 1946 the site was no longer operational, the transmitter structure on top of the operations block having been dismantled. Most of the buildings had been destroyed by 1950, with only the operation block extant in 2001. [7-14] A Coastal Defence/Chain Home Low Station located at Minehead (SS 954 477), called site M116. Coastal Defence/Chain Home Low (CD/CHL) radar stations were operated by the British Army to detect shipping and aircraft. CD/CHL sites opened from 1941 and comprised either a Nissen hut or brick/concrete operations block with an aerial gantry mounted on the roof and a separate standby set house for the reserve power. Staff were billeted where possible, but some stations had a small layout of domestic hutting situated within one mile of the site. [15] Aerial photography from 1998 shows an operations block surviving in reasonable condition. To the southeast lie some building bases, but these could be associated with a tank-training facility. [16] Altogether 120 1.5 metre CD/CHL sets, CD Marks 1 to 3, were provided between December 1940 and September 1941 as permanent structures. [17] The site was photographed by RCHME in 1999. [18] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [19] The heritage asset was assessed for inclusion on the Exmoor Local Heritage List in February 2024. It was noted that the significance of it's age was strong, dating from 1942 – 1944 and integral to defence of Britain during WWII. It's rarity was strong being the only surviving example on Exmoor and few surviving nationally. It's Distinctive Design was strong being constructed of mass concrete and a highly functional design with many indications of function visible, similar design to other known examples. The signficance of it's historical association was deemed moderate, being part of WWII defences. It's evidential value was moderate: some demolished and interior of operational block and gantry array removed but much evidence surviving for function and fittings. It's Social and Communal Value was deemed to be strong with strong community interest and value. It's Group Value was deemed to be Strong being associated with the military complex on North Hill. It's Collective Value was strong with few surviving nationally and being a relatively good example despite loss of fittings. It was decided to add the asset to the Local Heritage List. [20]