Its island location, just off the South Devon coast, meant its beach would have been ideal for a potential invasion point, and the Art Deco hotel of Burgh Island still has the remains of two pillboxes on its extensive island grounds. During World War II, Burgh Island’s convenient seaside location meant the hotel was used as a recovery center for injured Royal Air Force (RAF) personnel. Although the white painted glamorous hotel “sticks out a mile,” the various wartime defensive structures found around the island are often missed by the hotel visitors themselves.