Thorpe Thewels is a small village on the A177 between Sedgefield and Stockton and is the home to 3 rather nice type 23 variants. They were positioned there to protect the 20 arch viaduct that once spanned the valley, sadly this was demolished in 1979
Going
Going
Gone
I only managed to get internals on two of the pillboxes as the third is on private land and I was refused permission to access it so I only got a few sneaky shots of it from the woods. Sorry about the picture quallity I had to use my phone again as this was an unplanned trip and I didn't have my camera with me. Anyway on with the pics
Pillbox 1 was situated in the village itself to the west side of where the viaduct would have been. Its a modified type 23 but the modifications must have been made when it was built, its not buried as most type 23's are, it has no raised platform where the LAA gun would have been mounted and a hole has been knocked through the side wall to form a door way (the reinforcing rods have been cut and bent over as well). It has only two embrasures
Doorway
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Pillboxes 2 & 3 are on the East side of the old viaduct one on either side of the railway embankment. Both are buried type 23 variants, the variation being again they only have 2 embrasures. Entry would have been over the wall into the LAA gun pit. I'll start with the one I couldn't get inside
I was thinking of climbing the fence but they were watching my every move so I thought better of it
The last one is quite well preserved
The LAA gun mounting post lying in the bottom of the emplacement
Further East along the railway line was a nice little triple horizontal rail road block
The other side
Well thats all from me
Hope you enjoyed this little report
Cheers for looking
Jon
Going
Going
Gone
I only managed to get internals on two of the pillboxes as the third is on private land and I was refused permission to access it so I only got a few sneaky shots of it from the woods. Sorry about the picture quallity I had to use my phone again as this was an unplanned trip and I didn't have my camera with me. Anyway on with the pics
Pillbox 1 was situated in the village itself to the west side of where the viaduct would have been. Its a modified type 23 but the modifications must have been made when it was built, its not buried as most type 23's are, it has no raised platform where the LAA gun would have been mounted and a hole has been knocked through the side wall to form a door way (the reinforcing rods have been cut and bent over as well). It has only two embrasures
Doorway
Pillboxes 2 & 3 are on the East side of the old viaduct one on either side of the railway embankment. Both are buried type 23 variants, the variation being again they only have 2 embrasures. Entry would have been over the wall into the LAA gun pit. I'll start with the one I couldn't get inside
I was thinking of climbing the fence but they were watching my every move so I thought better of it
The last one is quite well preserved
The LAA gun mounting post lying in the bottom of the emplacement
Further East along the railway line was a nice little triple horizontal rail road block
The other side
Well thats all from me
Hope you enjoyed this little report
Cheers for looking
Jon