Rear of Bruce Building, Haymarket, Newcastle Upon Tyne. This firewatchers post has survived a major renovation to the Bruce building during which it was removed and stored away from the site. Unfortunately it was rotated by 90 degrees when refitted. These pictures were taken during a visit shortly before the […]
Defence Types
103 posts
This Type 24 appears not to be listed in the DOB or EDOB databases. Update 21/6/2020 it now appears as PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24): e41998 The photos in the gallery below don’t appear to have aged very well and quite a lot of work has gone into recovering as much detail […]
Clifton upon Dunsmore Stent Pillbox Ngr SP523758 After spending the day in Rugby researching some family history I decided to have a look for the stent pillbox in Clifton upon Dunsmore in Warwickshire which I found quite easily courtesy of Steve Carvells book. Looking through the loophole from the towpath […]
The lake was built in 1797 to provide water for the canal system and is strictly a reservoir rather than a lake. It was of prime importance during WWII as it’s destruction would have severely affected the ability of the important canal network to have remained operational. To this end […]
Ngr SD710091 Bolton ‘Fire Watchers Post’ as seen mounted on the former gas works in New Holder Street, Bolton. Photos by Kevin Dowd
This is a short article on the GHQ line between the villages of Ashurst (on the Kent and Sussex border) and the village of Penshurst in Kent along the course of the River Medway, both of the villages lie to the west of Tunbridge Wells. Penshurst village was an anti-tank […]
River Medway and Barming Bridge. Ngr TQ725539 PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24): S0009607 (Extant) and PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/28A): e32783 (Extant) I had observed the two ivy clad structures in the bottom of an apple orchard just east of the rail bridge over a minor road from the village of Barming and the […]
Relief Landing Ground at NGR: SP175036 A Farm at the WWII RLG, RAF Southrop, Gloucestershire is defended by a very unusual double Pillbox. A Double Norcon Variant? I think this is a transportable Lewis Gun AA emplacement? The Farm House?? I think it’s a Watch Office Early type […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 Sheet 203: Land’s End Porthleven is a small fishing village situated on the edge of Mount’s Bay approximately 8 miles south of the port of Penzance. It offers protection from much of the Atlantic weather with its granite block walls and shallow water harbour. Type 24 Pillbox Grid Ref: SW […]
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 […]
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 […]
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
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]