Between June 1940 and the spring of 1941 Britain—particularly southeast England—was covered by a vast system of anti-invasion defences. The legacy of these defences can still be seen across the landscape—anti-tank gun emplacements, pillboxes, spigot mortars, coastal gun batteries, anti-tank blocks, and anti-tank ditches. During his fieldwork for an archeology project, the author made 20 journeys throughout the southeast, central south, and east of England. This book is a personal record of his discoveries, which will not only inform and entertain the reader but contains a great deal of information on how to make similar discoveries on ones own.

The Battlefields that Nearly Were: Defended England 1940

History

Foot, William

Ancient Civilizations

Tempus

Between June 1940 and the spring of 1941 Britain - particularly south-east England - was covered by a vast system of anti-invasion defenses. The legacy of these defenses can still be seen across the landscape - anti-tank gun emplacements, pillboxes, spigot mortars, coastal gun batteries, anti-tank blocks and anti-tank ditches. During his fieldwork for a two-year English Heritage/ Council for British Archeology project, the author made 20 journeys throughout the south-east, central south and east of England. This book is a personal record of his discoveries, which will not only inform and entertain the reader but contains a great deal of information on how to make similar discoveries on ones own.

The Battlefields That Nearly Were

Europe

Tempus Publishing Ltd.

During the Second World War, there was concern as to whether Britain, unable to import food from abroad, would be able to feed the population. Therefore, the National Farm Survey was conducted during 1941-43, and described every farm in England and Wales in great detail. Because of its sensitivity, this material only became publicly available in 1992 after a fifty-year closure period. Information on farming types, cropping and stocking, machinery, employment, farm size and structure, land ownership and farm buildings was provided for all farms which were larger than 5 acres at that time. This book gives an overview of the Survey, and provides the most complete 'Domesday' of British agriculture available, including maps and illustrations of the areas surveyed at that time. It is a unique source for measuring post-war changes in agriculture, environment and society.

The National Farm Survey 1941-43: State Surveillance and the Countryside in England and Wales in the Second World War

Watkins, Charles

Short, Brian

Kinsman, Phil

Oxford University Press

Maps for Family and Local History shows how three great land surveys can provide information on ancestral homes, as well as fascinating historical snapshots of specific areas. Covering 1836 to 1943, the Tithe, Valuation Office, and National Farm Surveys provide a wealth of information on rural and urban localities, on dwellings, settlements, and landscapes as well as the status of householders. The text gives the rationale behind the surveys and covers each in detail. Fully updated by map experts from The National Archives, this illustrated guide is the perfect companion to researching those maps.

Maps for Family and Local History. (2nd Edition, Revised)

Reference

Mitchell, Rose

Beech, Geraldine

Atlases & Maps

Dundurn Press

This book presents the results of a two-year project to examine the 1940/41 anti-invasion landscapes of England. Combining extensive documentary research with fieldwork, sixty-seven defence areas were examined in detail, establishing the strategy and coherence of the original defence and analysing this in relation to the surviving structures. A particular emphasis has been placed on the differing landscapes in which the defence works were built, showing how in many cases the topography assisted the defence and how natural features were used to give strength and concealment to defence positions. Three major strategies are represented - those of coastal defence, inland stop line defence, and area defence. The introduction provides an overview of the whole subject, and sets out the differing types of defence works, the various strategies of defence, and the resources available for study. Attention has been given to dispelling various misconceptions that are still prevalent concerning the nature of these defences and their purpose. The defence works are presented within their historic background, explaining, for example, why some defence works have survived while the great majority have been destroyed. The book identifies the need today not only for the preservation of individual examples but of complete landscapes of defence where different types of structures have survived in good condition and are publicly accessible. An important component of the book are the maps which have been created to show the defence works for each of the 67 areas, using a system of symbols that was specially developed for the project.

Beaches, Fields, Streets, and Hills: The Anti-Invasion Landscapes of England, 1940 (CBA Research Report)

Council for British Archaeology

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