Anti Tank Gun Defence and Hidden Vickers Machine Gun Box, GHQ Line B, Elstead, Surrey.
Taking a public footpath from Somerset Bridge which crosses the River Wey close to Elstead in Surrey, I had planned to take a look at one of the large AT pillboxes, one of several in this area on GHQ line B.
The footpath starts at a gate close to a very overgrown Type 24 Pillbox at SU921439. This box is so hidden by undergrowth and brambles that I decided not to bother to photograph!
Once across the field you enter a small wooded area which is on high ground to the right of the river Wey. The AT gun emplacement sits at SU921441. It can be seen quite easily from the road with its huge concrete embrasure facing south east.
The AT box is accessible as it sits right along the side of the footpath and generally it is in good condition. However, its interior now holds lots of farm debris and wood.
The cut out recess for the artillery piece in the concrete floor are very obvious and these lead up to the inside of the embrasure position. The embrasure gives a clear view of the Shackleford road and the river bridge a short distance away across the field.
The defence has a massive rear wall to protect it, this also features two bren /rifle loopholes, one facing southeast and the other northwest.
One of the loopholes has an interesting staggered, and stepped casting. All of the walls still have camouflage net retaining hooks. This style of pillbox is one of four that are easily accessible for study in this area.
Whilst studying the outside blast wall I caught a glimpse of brickwork a short distance away, through the wood and down the bank, closer to the river Wey.
Taking a closer look I was surprised to find that the brickwork was a fully enclosed side entrance to an almost completely dug in Vickers machine gun box. Its cast embrasure facing southeast towards the river. The map reference for its position being SU920440.
The inside is fully flooded and entry was avoided as the water was certainly going to cover the tops of my wellington boots!. I managed to get a shot of the interior, and as you can see it appears very clean along with its vickers platform gun table..
I could not find a reference to this particular box in either H Wills , Ironsides Line or the DoB Database. I have visited another Vickers box near by at SU924442. This is also in a similar style but is concrete shuttered and has a fully enclosed entrance way which faces to the rear.
Tim Denton 2006.
