wemburywaves

On This Day in Wembury — 1 March 1947

Wembury Parish Council raised post-war concerns about the landscape still scarred by wartime defences. Councillors pressed the military authorities to remove barbed-wire obstructions and redundant pillboxes left on the beach. They also discussed the unsightly overhead electric cable running to Bovisand, though the Air Ministry warned that undergrounding it would cost around £1,300—a prohibitive sum in the post-war years.

Another issue was the disused anti-aircraft battery at Lane End, Down Thomas, where derelict buildings were deteriorating. The Parish Council resolved to seek the help of their MP, Major Henry Studholme, in urging action.

Reflection:
This glimpse into 1947 shows Wembury at a turning point—shifting from the fortified coastline of the Second World War to the peacetime desire to restore natural beauty and community amenity. The debate about whether to remove pillboxes and camouflage scars foreshadows later tensions between preservation of heritage and the wish to erase reminders of conflict. The Council’s engagement highlights how even small parishes carried a voice in reshaping the post-war South Devon landscape.

Source: Western Morning News, 1 March 1947.