Pillboxes in Wiltshire (1 Viewer)

[Euromobil]

Staying on a small CL near Pewsey we went for a walk down to the canal.
Surprised by a proliferation of pillboxes, also remnants of where the bridge over it had once been blocked by concreted in rsj,s
Apparently the Kennet & Avon formed a part of a line of defences that the army would fall back on if invasion took place.
Makes you realise how desperate things were in 1940

 

[The general]

All across southern England

 

[Sapper520]

The Pillbox Study Group Website.

Committed to the Study and Preservation of 20th Century United Kingdom and International Pillboxes and Anti-Invasion Defences

www.pillbox-study-group.org.uk

 

[Janine]

There are quite a few along the Thames in a Oxfordshire too.

 

[The Old Man]

They were part of a defence plan called, 'Stop Lines.'

The construction of Stop – Lines, consisting of man made objects located to enhance the natural 'lay of the land'. This indicates that the stop-lines were constructed to block the progress of German armoured columns, setting them up for a counter attack by our defending forces.

The best is the Taunton Stop Line;

Taunton Stop Line - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

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[kevenh]

An older related thread got quite a lot of examples and info: Broken Link Removed

 

[dazandandrea]

Its amazing where you find them. I recently discovered one near Staveley, Chesterfield area and one at the side of the trent and mersey canal near Burton upon Trent.

 

[brynric]

Dazandandrea,
Where’s the one at Staveley? I knew that area well at one time.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

We have loads in Hampshire especially along the beach areas due to the location of Portsmouth Harbour no doubt.

 

[Revolvor]

There are quite a few along the Thames in a Oxfordshire too.

We moor our boat about 15 metres from one. The neighbouring boat owner uses it for storage.

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[bigwood]

As Lincolnshire had a lot of RAF bases there was the concrete defences to go with them. I knew a guy who’s father worked on one of the big estates that had been taken over for the RAF during the war. His job after the war was to plant trees round the bunkers etc to hide them. It was easier than breaking them up. In the winter you start to notice bits of concrete structures when the leaves have fallen.

 

[jockaneezer]

There's this one at the side of A591 just out of Grasmere, I'm surprised it hasn't been turned into a "luxury glamping pod, with unrivalled Lake District views" at £800 a week !

 

[ctc]

Many were built of house bricks and wouldn't stop a pistol bullet.

 

[The Old Man]

As Lincolnshire had a lot of RAF bases there was the concrete defences to go with them. I knew a guy who’s father worked on one of the big estates that had been taken over for the RAF during the war. His job after the war was to plant trees round the bunkers etc to hide them. It was easier than breaking them up. In the winter you start to notice bits of concrete structures when the leaves have fallen.

If I remember a piece of history correctly, landowners were paid the princely sum of £10 per Pill Box to remove them.!

 

[kevenh]

Many were built of house bricks and wouldn't stop a pistol bullet.

Not sure it’s “many”. Try “some”
The majority of the pillboxes are still here because they’re built to strong to easily knock down and remove.

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[Bubba]

Dazandandrea,
Where’s the one at Staveley? I knew that area well at one time.

There is one by the River Doe Lea (locally commonly known as the black waters) next to the cricket ground at netherthorpe. Used to climb on it a lot as a kid.

 

[TheBig1]

The vast majority round here are super hard reinforced concrete

 

[PhilMary]

All across southern England

And , more importantly, all across the North.

 

[Old Gibber]

They were part of a defence plan called, 'Stop Lines.'

The construction of Stop – Lines, consisting of man made objects located to enhance the natural 'lay of the land'. This indicates that the stop-lines were constructed to block the progress of German armoured columns, setting them up for a counter attack by our defending forces.

The best is the Taunton Stop Line;

Taunton Stop Line - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I lived near Sedgefield in the North East and there was a stop line there, in fact I believe it ran through my garden as I found a number of buried concrete posts which were identical to these used on the Taunton Line. They were very obviously WW2 reinforced concrete, too thick and too short for fence posts. Strategically our garden would have been the ideal place for a stop line (at least according to the WW1 thinking used when these were constructed). There are several brick pill boxes in the area too.

 

[Speve]

We still need them here on the plain with the artillery ranges at our side they have been known to miss their targets and shell the occasional village

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[Bubba]

We still need them here on the plain with the artillery ranges at our side they have been known to miss their targets and shell the occasional village

In boats we never missed a target. Because we had a saying. Shoot first and whatever you hit, call it the target. Never miss that way.

 

[icantremember]

I thought they mostly had been taken over by English Heritage and preserved as toilets.

 

[dazandandrea]

Dazandandrea,
Where’s the one at Staveley? I knew that area well at one time.

 

[dazandandrea]

Might have been placed as a main road and alsona very flat area maybe to counter parachute drops or plane landings.
Its also fairly close to the M1 which the Germans could have got onto for a quick attack on Sheffield , they could have popped into the Mcdonalds for a quick snack prior to the attack.

 

[brynric]

Might have been placed as a main road

I would never have imagined it there. I would have thought it might have overlooked the Works on the other side of Staveley.
I went to that school 50 years ago. In those days you could practically walk along the Doe Lea, there was so much slurry from the collieries.

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[Bubba]

I would never have imagined it there. I would have thought it might have overlooked the Works on the other side of Staveley.
I went to that school 50 years ago. In those days you could practically walk along the Doe Lea, there was so much slurry from the collieries.

Fell in there many a time.
During ww2 Staveley train station was a very busy junction. And it's not far from the pill box. Also as you say staveley chemical works not far either.

 

[dazandandrea]

Never thought of the chemical works or rail lines .
I live in Killamarsh and there are 3 lines running through and numerous others frim the old pits

 

[dazandandrea]

Just been for a walk up to the Westhorpe hotel and onto the nature reserve that used to be the Westhorpe pit .
How times change.

 

[Bubba]

Staveley was a big station at one point. Just under the bridge at lowgates it was.
I was born in Hartington by the pit there. Now its the flogas place. Got moved out when they knocked down the pit rows and moved to mastin Moor for my growing up. I know a lot of the fields around that way as that's where I did my growing up.

 

[dazandandrea]

Used to fill my vw t25 up with lpg at that site .
Also worked on the old Markham vale pit site when it closed and was turned into numerous engineering shops etc.
In fact the unit i worked in was the old ambulance garage.

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