Porthcurno WWII Communication Bunker & Anti-Invasion Defences A Photographic “Look-back” OS Sheet 203 Porthcurno, near Lands End Porthcurno is a very isolated cove near Lands End. Unknown to most people, it is the point where submarine telephone cables connecting Britain to the rest of the world come ashore. WWII Communication […]
Colin
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Type 24 Pillbox Overlooking Anti-Tank Wall A Type 24 Pillbox located on the small headland that separates Kennack Sands with the beach at Green stable. Due to the increased popularity of the beach it has been necessary to remove the Anti-Tank Wall at the Kennack Sands end but around the […]
OS 203: Land’s End Type 24 Pillbox Grid Ref: SW 5870-2758 This Type 24 Pillbox is located on the south-eastern end of of Praa Sands Beach about 100m from the beach access steps. Originally built on top of the 10m high cliffs it has unfortunately been subjected to the local […]
Pendennis Castle, Cornwall Pendennis Castle guards the entrance to the River Fal at Falmouth, Cornwall. Originally built by Henry VIII, subjected to an intense blockade by the Roundheads in the 17th Century and surviving WWII it offers a unique insight into 450 years of history. It has several important WWII […]
OS Sheet 203: Land’s End Fishing Cove, Gunwalloe, is situated at the very southern end of Loe Bar, Mount’s Bay, Cornwall. Access to the beach was protected by a concrete block constructed Anti-Tank wall. Anti Tank Wall Located approximately 100 metres up the track is a small concrete block manufacturing […]
A Type 27 Pillbox placed on top of an embankment overlooking the river Dee and RAF Sealand.
NGR SJ 5922-5763 I took these photographs of the remaining seagull trench at the former RAF Calveley, near Nantwich, Cheshire, in April 2004. It is located at the NW corner of landing ground between the perimeter track and runway of Calveley Airfield, (Grid ref: SJ 5922 5763 ) according to […]
Arp Signal Box The great increase in railway activity in WW2 led to the development of a new type of signal box. The running of the railways was as vital as was the safety of signalmen, so a strengthened signal box was developed with a concrete roof to give a […]
Although not a pillbox here is a wartime structure that I found in Berkshire in an area known to have been used by the 501st and 101st Airborne during the build up to D-Day. It is about 15ft by 8ft divided into three segments. Two small rooms and a central […]
Kennet & Avon Canal, Berkshire NGR: SU618686. Having just joined the Pillbox Study Group and having received my 1st copy of loopholes yesterday, I thought it would be good to send a recent picture taken at Ufton Bridge, alongside the Kennet and Avon canal in Berkshire. According to Ironsides book […]
GHQ Stop-Line, Tidmarsh, Berkshire. Bridges Were Hastily Erected To Provide Access To The Pillboxes. By Mike Quigley
Under Threat! Berkshire GHQ Line Vickers Machine Gun Pillbox. M4 Junction 11 April 2008 Possibly Berkshire’s only surviving Vickers Machine Gun emplacement, at SU714855, may be under threat of demolition? The rare defence has recently become exposed due to tree and shrub clearance below the south west embankment of the M4 […]
Following on from his recent information on Wartime Concrete in Berkshire, Philip came across this carving in a tree close to the ‘mystery building’ illustrated previously. He already knew that the 501st & 101st Airborne had been stationed in the area during the run up to D-Day and he proceeded […]
Dunmill Lock, Hungerford Common, Berkshire Anti-Tank Defences On Hungerford Common Situated between the railway line and the Kennet and Avon Canal at Hungerford Common in Berkshire are two FW3/28 Anti-Tank Pillboxes. Both are positioned back to back on an embankment covering the canal, road and railway from a vantage point. […]
NGR SU 680-706 At Burghfield, just a few miles South-west of Reading in Berkshire can be found an excellent surviving example of a brick built fortified building (NGR SU680706). The converted stable-block is situated in between the tip of a road junction at a point where three roads meet and […]
Located on the B3349 near Wokingham/Aborfield. NGR: SU777668 This rectangular bullet proof variant design can be found close to the road covering a small bridge near Barkham on the B3349, Wokingham to Arborfield Road in Berkshire. It once formed part of the outer defence perimeter for the nearby army garrison at Arborfield camp, […]
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HAA Battery, Ferry Road, Hayling Island. Ngr SZ 699994 On Sinah common at Hayling Island in Hampshire (map ref SZ699994), a Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery has been preserved as a memorial to the six gunners that died defending the Portmouth area from a heavy air raid that took place in April […]
Wartime Survivors at Sherfield on Loddon, Hampshire. A pair of tall type 22 pillboxes can be found just east of the A33 Basingstoke to reading rd. at Sherfield on Loddon in Hampshire. One sits at floods farm north of the River Loddon at ngr: su684584 This can be seen both from […]
River Whitewater GHQ Line A Defences. Ngr SU740611 Close to Heckfield Bridge near Bramshill in Hampshire are two very original and sound surving type 25 pillboxes. The full height example which can be easily seen from the road has its inner and outer galvanise steel shuttering and the retaining bolts holding […]
A Preserved Spigot Mortar Base Elvetham Heath, Fleet, Hampshire Ngr SU791550 Preserving WW2 defence remains is unusual but not unheard of but this is an exception where time and trouble has ensured history has been saved for future generations. During development work on the new Elvetham Heath estate at Fleet […]
Kent Canal Defence PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/22): S0008247 (Extant) Beside the Royal Military Canal at Appledore in Kent is this FW3/22 Pillbox, it is situated about a mile south of the town beside the road bridge. By Peter Shute
Allhallows Defences & The Battle of Britain June 1940: as German forces had now rolled up Europe and pushed the beleaguered British back home from Dunkirk, the defence of the British Isles became a paramount concern. The country’s coastal defences were strengthened, with many miles of barbed wire springing up. Some […]
Eastney Barracks,Ferry Rd and Beach Defences. SZ666987 The Loopholed wall can be seen surrounding part of the Royal Marines Barracks at Eastney in Portsmouth, this particular section is at the junction of St George’s Road and Cromwell Road leading to the main Royal Gate. Its location is close to […]
Watchers or defence post, Chichester Harbour. Ngr SZ751987 This very unusual structure was found on the far east side of Hayling Island very close to the sailing club at Sandy Point, the defence post overlooks the Emsworth channel which leads into the entrance way of Chichester Harbour and close to […]
Military Concrete Remains on Hazeley Heath, Hartley Wintney, Hampshire. NGR SU764577 Situated on Hazeley Heath Common near Hartley Wintney are some unusual concrete structures that date from pre WW2. The concrete relics are fully accessible to the public and are at the end of a short concrete road leading from the main […]
Ngr SU832554 This type 22 variant pillbox situated alongside the main south coast line at Cove near Farnborough would have given all round fire covering the adjacent railway bridge and Cove Rd. Its position is close to Fleet Pond bridge and also faces northwest on to the A3013 Fleet to Farnborough road, […]
Taylors Gate Guard House Defence. Ngr SU667564 Although it is not accessible due to its location on Ministry of Defence (MOD) land, the unusual guard house pillbox can be observed close to Taylors Gate from outside and on the adjacent public footpath. The unusual defence protects the entrance from the A33 Rd to […]
Un-Recorded Railblock and Pillbox East of Aldershot Ngr SU889439 An un recorded part of the east defence ring for Aldershot survives on the old and row removed rail line at Tongham. Early 2009 I walked the footpath where the Ash Green to Aldershot spur line once ran, this is now […]
Canal Crossing Road Block Ngr SU852527 These substantial road block posts can be found on the north side of Claycart Bridge at Aldershot, the bridge was a used as a military crossing over the Basingstoke Canal from the training areas south east of Aldershot. Originally two small rectangular pillboxes […]
There are at least half a dozen of the common type 22 pillboxes that can be found dotted around the island, some are accesible others are not, the majority can be found by walking along the south west coast close to Hayling Island golf course. With the exception of the pillboxes on […]
Aldershots Anti-Aircraft Post Ngr SU856513 This very basic, unusual and rare Anti-Aircraft Defence Post is located centre of playing fields adjacent to the A325 Farnborough to Farnham main road. During the war this gun emplacement would have given limited defensive firepower against low flying enemy aircraft attacking the nearby Army […]
Aldershot Ring Defence, Pillbox, Basingstoke Canal. Ngr SU 860522 An unusual small rectangular pillbox can be found beside the Basingstoke Canal to the west of Aldershot military town. The small pillbox has a twin embrasure front wall which faces south east covering the A325 Farnborough to Farnham Rd and Canal […]
Concealed and Disguised Pillboxes at Beaulieu, New Forest, Hampshire. eDoB Online Map – S0012705 Ngr SU387023 Many people will recognise this unusual building as one that features on the cover of Henry Wills “Pillboxes” book. The camouflaged pillbox sits in the garden of the Mill House and covers the bridge […]
Unrecorded Defended Barn, Test Valley, Hampshire. eDoB Online Map – e09865 Ngr: SU377392 I came across this very unusual and rare defended building while driving cross country back from Winchester. The small brick and stone clad barn is situated at fields edge beside a quiet country lane at Fullerton near Wherwell, […]
This unusual hexagonal pillbox can be found behind a hedgerow not far from the entrance to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford in Cambridgeshire. I believe it is the one listed on the DOB at Grid Ref: TL454458. It is listed as a Type24 and also as a Type 27. […]
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