History in Structure

World War II Gun Emplacement at Holt Fleet

A Grade II Listed Building in Ombersley, Worcestershire

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Coordinates

Latitude: 52.2684 / 52°16'6"N

Longitude: -2.258 / 2°15'28"W

OS Eastings: 382488

OS Northings: 263392

OS Grid: SO824633

Mapcode National: GBR 0CS.RYH

Mapcode Global: VH92D.T74W

Plus Code: 9C4V7P9R+9Q

Entry Name: World War II Gun Emplacement at Holt Fleet

Listing Date: 31 March 2010

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1393732

English Heritage Legacy ID: 507714

ID on this website: 101393732

Location: Holt Fleet, Wychavon, Worcestershire, WR6

County: Worcestershire

District: Wychavon

Civil Parish: Ombersley

Traditional County: Worcestershire

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Worcestershire

Church of England Parish: Ombersley

Church of England Diocese: Worcester

Tagged with: Architectural structure

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Description


OMBERSLEY

357/0/10006 World War II Gun Emplacement at Holt F
31-MAR-10 leet

II
World War II gun emplacement, built in 1940 as part of the Severn Stop Line.

EXTERIOR: The gun emplacement is built of reinforced concrete and red brick and is hexagonal in plan. It consists of a low concrete wall clad in red brick with concrete coping forming a hexagon. Above the low brick wall the three northern sides of the hexagon have blind brick walls whereas the three southern sides are open with narrow concrete piers supporting the flat brick roof.

INTERIOR: the sunken floor contains a central concrete mounting for the six-pounder Hotchkiss.

HISTORY: The Gun Emplacement at Holt Fleet was built in 1940-1as part of the Severn Stop line, which together with the anti-tank islands at Tewskesbury, Worcester and Kidderminster, were designed to defend the River Severn and were part of the defences to protect the major industrial centres of the Midlands. At Holt Fleet a number of defences were constructed in the vicinity of the Holt Bridge and consisted of three-barrel flame fougasse and a trench on the southern approach to the bridge, vertical anti-tank road blocks at either end of the bridge and the gun emplacement with a six-pounder Hotchkiss gun facing south on the northern banks of the River Severn. Evidence of the road blocks were revealed in recent years beneath the modern tarmac on the north end of Holt Bridge during waterproofing work by the highway agency.

SOURCES
Wilks, M, The Defences of Worcestershire and the Southern Approaches to Birmingham in World War II (2007), 76-85

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION
The World War II Gun Emplacement at Holt Fleet, Worcestershire is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an intact gun emplacement constructed in 1940-1 which retains its historic context close to the River Severn and on the former Severn Stop line.
* Group value: for the close physical and historic relationship between the Gun emplacement and the Grade II listed Holt Bridge which retains evidence of its former anti-tank road blocks beneath the modern tarmac.


Reasons for Listing


The World War II Gun Emplacement at Holt Fleet, Worcestershire, is recommended for listing for following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an intact gun emplacement which retains its historic context close to the River Severn and on the former Severn Stop line.
* Group value: for the close physical and historic relationship between the Gun emplacement and the Grade II listed Holt Bridge which retains evidence of its former anti-tank road blocks beneath the modern tarmac.

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