MSO12292 - Royal Ordnance Corps observation post north of Porlock (Building)

A ROC observation post survives in good condition. [1] Post 22/K.1 Porlock opened in September 1938. A phone line to Hurlestone Point coastguard station (MSO8110) was established in 1942 and warning flares for high ground (codename 'Granite') and radio direction for lost aircraft (codename 'Darky') were added in 1943. The post was renumbered 10/Z.4 in November 1953 and resited to Minehead (MSO7683) in January 1960. [2] The remains of a ROC observation post lie in Sparkhayes Lane at SS 8860 4738. The building is of brick with concrete floors and roof. It measures 4 by 2 ,4 metres and the walls are 0.2 metres thick. A door on the east side leads to the two lower rooms, one has the remains of storage racks. A doorway leads out to an open area over the store room, which commands a view over Porlock Bay. Bolts, presumably for an aerial, remain on the roof. [3] ST 8860 4738 A Second World War observation post, visible as a structure, was mapped from aerial photographs taken in 1946. Located in the corner of a field, west of Sparkhayes Lane, against the boundary and adjacent to the field entrance, the structure is about 10 metres long north to south and 4 metres wide east to west. The structure appears to be part Nissen hut and part brick built structure. The Nissen hut is about 5.5 metres long and the brick built part of the building 4.5 metres long, with an upper floor. By 1976, the Nissen hut part of the structure was no longer visible, but the remaining part of the structure was still visible in 1979. [4-7] Defence of Britain non invasion database number 94. [8] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [9]