BURGHFIELD FORTIFIED BUILDING, PILLBOX STUDY GROUP

PILLBOX WAR WALKS

A MORNING VISIT TO THE DORKING GHQ LINE

TIM DENTON

NGR TQ 174511

After an early morning visit to Dorking ,my wife and I decided to take an interesting scenic riverside walk. This by a strange coincidence would take in some of the remaining WW2 defences close to the Surrey hills!

Starting at the bottom of Box hill and close to the A24, we found a small public car park. After a short walk through a wooded area we came across the stepping stones that cross the fast flowing River Mole. Carefully negotiating these we crossed to the other side of the water.Once on the opposite bank we turned right and walked south east along a muddy footpath looking down upon the river on our right.

This well trodden walkway leads along the bottom of Box Hill where the type 28 6-Pounder emplacement can be seen perched on the hillside to your left at NGR TQ174511.

This brick shuttered example points south west to the direction of where the anti tank ditch was located on the far side of the river and towards the main A24 Dorking to Leatherhead Rd with the railway line beyond.

With the right foot wear it is a fairly easy climb up to the box, but care would be needed on a wet days as chalk can be very slippery.

The defence is in poor condition having been visited by all and sundry, with both the exterior and interior walls covered in graffiti.

Inside the position of the 6 Pounder’s holdfast plate can be seen with its 9 retaining studs. A side embrasure faces south east and this along with the doorway is partially blocked by land slippage.

A short walk and climb further south east along the bank, via some ups and downs on the path, we eventually came to the unusual collection of tall and narrow concrete pipe obstacles at NGR TQ174510.

These are arranged in groups of three standing upright, several others can be seen lying on their sides nearby.

A similar arrangement can be seen approximately 35ft across the river, these dug into the opposite bank.

I have been told that more cylinders were once placed between these stretching across the river and being secured with steel hawsers to make an effective barrier.

Returning to the car and taking the road out of Dorking towards Reigate, we found another suitable place to park. Taking a route down a sloping footpath, along a narrow alley way and finally a footbridge crossing the River Mole we found ourselves on the east side of the river again. Here we walked along the rivers edge, heading in a north -west direction, treading muddy paths and negotiatiating a large herd of cattle.

With the lower slopes of Box hill to our right, we eventually came to the unmistakable sight of a 12 perfectly arranged Anti tank cylinders located at NGR TQ174507.

Each of the cylinders are spaced at 3ft intervals, and are mounted on a 2ft thick concrete float shaped like a hockey stick. All are in excellent condition, but the underside of the foundation raft base on which they sit is becoming eroded away by the fluctuating river levels. An impressive sight and comparable in a smaller way with two other sites I have seen in nearby Hampshire.

A short walk across the green field some 235 yards from the cylinders, is a partially dug in shellproof Type 24 Pillbox at NGR TQ174509.

This example has an unusual appearance, as its outer walls were formed by using corrugated shuttering. This defence faces west across the River Mole towards the A24. Like most shellproof examples of this type, it has a chamfered roofline, but is unusual as it also has a chamfered rear edge.

With no rear loopholes the boxes unprotected rear entrance is now partially filled with soil due to the gradual land slippage. Access to its interior is just about possible if you are prepared to go on hands and knees.

A further observation was two huge squares blocks of concrete a short distance from the pillbox. These are positioned in the centre of the river, and possibly may have been defence related?