Pillboxes and other fortifications (help please)

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Rich
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For some strange reason old WW2 pillboxes and other fortifications interest me and are to be my next photographic project.
Have looked at the various websites and found out a fair bit, but now I am seeking your help please

If anyone knows of the whereabouts of these constructions in the East Anglia region I would be very grateful.
Many are overgrown and partially hidden, finding some of these is no easy task and local knowledge is a great advantage.

Would prefer the more complete ones, but all and any are of interest. Going to take a while, but it gives me a goal and sad as it may seem might even organise a short break to document the more further afield ones

One other site is already on my radar, the Knock John platform beyond the Thames Estuary, seen them from a ferry and hope to get on one of the angling charter boats for some good close ups

So there you have it, strange, but a nice challenge and look out for the first images, i'm starting local this weekend

Cheers
 
Thanks, some really good stuff on there
 
Just a small word of caution about the pillboxes! Quite a few of these have been converted to be 'caves' for bats to roost. If you see one that has partly bricked up doorways and the 'slits' made even smaller this just could be one of them! The public are being (have) asked not to disturb them if at all posible!
I have only come across one, and that was on the coast near Sunderland Point, Lancs.
Hope you have some success finding and photographing them!
(I have some pics somewhere!) If I find them I will post them with you permission of course!!
 
If you ever want a trip up north, there is one in Ferryden, just outside Montrose on the east coast of scotland.
 
Most of the ones Listed by English Heritage at http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk are in Berkshire, but in Norfolk there's one tagged onto the Manor House at Acle and one from WWI that looks like a signal box, at Johnson's Yacht Station, St Olaves, Haddiscoe.
 
Where about's are you in east Anglia ?

I have been driving the A130 between the A127 & A12 in Essex for the last year and I keep spotting them in fields along the A130.

There must be at least 8 just along this 8 mile stretch.

Then there are Coal House and Tilbury forts on the Thames estuary.
 
How about the biggest of them all? It’s an ex secret nuclear bunker that was built by the RAF and was designed for the Prime Minister, Government and the Royal Family. They would have been flown there from London in an emergency. It could accommodate 600 during a fall out. It’s now open to the public and is in Essex, so depending on where in East Anglia you are would depend on worth a visit. I went round it a few years ago and was quite interesting.

http://www.secretnuclearbunker.com/index.html

I still find it funny seeing the road signs for it near by. :LOL:

sign20smaller.jpg
 
There are loads around here in Lincs :D Many of the local RSPB sites have plenty. Lots dotted about the marshes. Freiston Shore springs to mind as one of the sites with a few dotted around near the entrance, and then a few more dotted about out on the marsh land.

Google Earth is your friend when it comes to things like this ( image below is clickable for larger view ;) ).



If you down load it (or even already have it), go into the 'Gallery' option on the bottom left hand menu (picture as No.1) and make sure the
ff.jpg
is selected like so (location shown in picture as No.2). Then you will find that on zooming in on different areas you will see little blue icons like those you associate with information stations (pictured all along the road ringed around and numbered 3 in the picture) there are 16 of those little icons in just that ringed part alone ... loads more further along the road. From there you can also click each one for more information, and some even have pictures :)

That road pictured is the one leading along Freiston shore, if you do download/use Google Earth the co-ordinates are: Latitude: 52°57'37.34"N Longitude: 0° 4'42.95"E

Here is a final closer picture of some of the structures at Freiston Shore:

freistonshore.jpg

Hope that helps!
 
Some on the wirral as you drive down the main road! think they cover a bridge.

There is also a "secret" bunker in Northwich!
 
Railway lines were also often covered by pillboxes, and you'll sometimes find them where a road passes over a railway line.
 
fitzer said:
If you use Google Earth you can download an overlay with virtually every piece of defence architecture in the land from Pillbox Study Group
Click to expand...

This is the best resource by a long way, although it is incomplete.

Whilst I am interested in the subject, I can't really say they are particularly photogenic... British attempts at hard fortifications are always rather pathetic compared to most other nations, there is little menace and power in them.
 
Siome great stuff here thanks, at work now and hard to linger too long, but will read thoroughly later
Google Earth seems to be rather useful, think I might have a busy time

Cheers
 
I shall be having a look at these later, as a quick browse is already filling me with ideas! Thanks for the links guys.
 
I know of a couple of really well hidden ones in Cambridge if you're interested and a few more public ones in Essex
 
Certainly am interested, location of the hidden ones would be great please
 
I shall be having a look at these later, as a quick browse is already filling me with ideas! Thanks for the links guys.
Click to expand...


Keep yer hands off me pillboxes matey and find yer own:)
 
there,s one on top of box hill in surrey, cafe near by and great views from the top, all accessible by rd. (y)
 
Welcome to Steve Ellwood's Pictures / Blyth Battery,
worth a look.
Jım
 
Not sure which area you live in Rich, but I live in Attleborough (South/Breckland part of Norfolk. If you want me to do a quick recce of any local to me (to enable you to decide if they are worth visiting) just let me know. It is not a subject that interests me (at all) but I always carry a camera with me when I am out and about and if it helps a fellow tog ...
 
For pillboxes, as someone point out they're along the A130/A12 in Chelmsford Essex, so you could park up in a layby (or at the park and ride by the A414) and go for a walk (theres loads just sittting in farmers fields.
 
Don't forget Bawdsey Island on the Suffolk coast - the birthplace of radar :thinking:

There are a few martello towers along the suffolk coast as well if they are of interest.

HTH

Nick
 
Also a couple of forts further north in Essex and Suffolk, Harwich Redoubt and Landguard Fort Felixstowe.
 
Searching Flickr comes up with quite a few .....

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=pillbox&z=e

I never really thought of them as being thin on the ground.
There are a lot in Berkshire (where I am) I could quite easily walk to ten of them from my house!
I stumbled on one I'd never seen before the other day, while out in the woods taking photos of the snow!
 
Loads along the Kennet & Avon through West Berkshire - some are converted bat caves, others are now power houses for the wiers etc. There are plenty that are still open access though - just watch your feet for the broken glass, dirty needles and used johnies - quality birds round here! Not all of them are that bad though ... or the pillboxes!
 
Thanks very much to everyone, got a good few sites bookmarked

More info available than I expected and should keep me busy for a while

Thought there may have been less interest in these old fortifications, just shows how far reaching this hobby is
Thanks again and will post up my first efforts hopefully over the weekend, got at least two very local ones to inspect

Cheers
 
Yesterdays Telegraph also had half a page on pillboxes with both the sites I highlighted mentioned so the interest is there.
 
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