Slipway and Hard, Brixham Outer Harbour

Reasons for Designation

The Slipway and Embarkation Hard, Brixham Outer Harbour has been designated at grade II for the following principal reasons:

* It is an iconic reminder of D-Day and the part played by both local communities and the American military * Despite some alteration and modification , it represents the best preserved example of the standard type of hard and slipway * It is an important example of a historic World War II resource of national significance * It is linked to the nearby grade II* listed hard at Torquay * It has a memorial marker * It is associated with contemporary surviving defences

Details

1946-1/0/10010 Slipway and Hard, Brixham Outer Harbour 23-JUN-09

II A four-berth Landing Ship Tank (LST) slipway and embarkation hard constructed in 1943 situated in the lee of an existing breakwater.

PLAN: The hard is roughly triangular in shape and gently slopes towards the sea, whilst the slipway has a much greater gradient.

MATERIALS: The surviving features include: a modern protective concrete slab surface laid parallel to the sea overlying the original cobbled biscuit surface, which formed the hard layer necessary to carry heavy vehicles. The original cobbled surface survives at the lower end of the slipway and a further band leading towards the sea across the hard on the site of a pipeline may be original or reconstructed. A bronze memorial plaque dedicated to the men of the 4th Infantry Division,VII Corps, US Army, who embarked at Brixham is situated adjacent to the hard.

HISTORY: The Brixham slipway and embarkation hard was built in 1943 as part of Operation Overlord, the springboard for the Allied invasion of German-occupied Western Europe. The hard was one of 68 purpose built structures constructed along the southern shores of England and Wales. Around another 40 existing slipways were used and some of these were adapted at this time. The Brixham hard in common with all the others was heavily used in the period immediately before the invasion and during the subsequent three weeks. The hard was derequisitioned on 27th February 1945. At the end of the war the associated jetties were removed and the concrete hard and slipway retained for commercial and leisure use. Between 1952 and 1965 a protective layer of concrete slabs was laid over most of the original surface.

SOURCES Dobinson, C.S., Twentieth Century Fortifications in England, Vol. 5, Operation Overlord (1996) Schofield, J., D-Day sites in England: an assessment, Antiquity, 75 (2001), 77-83 Thomas, R.J.C., D-Day Sixty Years On, (2004)

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION The Slipway and Embarkation Hard, Brixham Outer Harbour is designated at grade II for the following principal reasons: * Despite some alteration and modification , it represents the best preserved example of the standard type of hard and slipway * It is an important example of a historic World War II resource of national significance * It is linked to the nearby grade II* listed hard at Torquay * It has a memorial marker * It is associated with contemporary surviving defences * It is an iconic reminder of D-Day and the part played by both local communities and the American military

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

504709

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Thomas, R J C, D-Day Sixty Years On, (2004)
Dobinson, C S, Twentieth Century Fortifications in England in Operation Overlord, (1996)
Schofield, J, Antiquity in D-Day Sites In England: An Assessment, Vol. 75, (2001), 77-83

End of official list entry

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