more pillboxes co.durham near houghton/seaham

visited these on sunday with jonney after research on sat night the pillboxes are in the houghton and seaham area of county durham we believe they are part of a stop line protecting the east durham coastal area as they are aproximately 4-5 miles inland running in a line that seems to follow the A19.ok on with the pics.

this one was well hidden couldnt even see it on google earth!!


it turned out to be a prefabricated type.



a closer shot of one of the embrasures



the same embrasure from the inside.



pesky sunlight.



opposite side embrasure



crumbling pre-cast concrete



back out into the glorious sunshine





then we moved further north a few miles to the next one.The pillbox at houghton is in between these two.they are about 1.5 miles apart possibly 2. but whos splittin hairs.

the long road ahead!!



it looked in good condition as we approached



lozenge type typical to the N.E .



concrete shelves were still intact as well as the blast wall.





evidence of chav type visitors



the tricky half back filled way in!!











i think thats a bashed up old fuel tank or summit like that in the foreground.



to finish with a photo of some old gates on a pumping station where jonney parked the car.perhaps we will go back ther for an explore looks like an interesting place.thanks to jonney who did the driving.thanks for looking.

love the embrasures on the first one, not seen any like that before.

Get back to that powerstation, those gates look gorgeous!! Could be more there I think....??

sallybear said:

love the embrasures on the first one, not seen any like that before.

Get back to that powerstation, those gates look gorgeous!! Could be more there I think....??

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agreed sb but not sure if its still used or not so more research is needed

Intresting pics of the pre -fab pillbox ,havent come across one before

Firstly no problem about the driving mate it was my turn. Sally the gates were once the main entrance to a water pumping station and resevoir that supplied the water to east herrington and was built in 1890 after an outbreak of typhoid in 1888 (beam engine type by the look of the building. I have a photo of the back of it taken from one of the pillboxes) it is a listed building and some of it is still in use. I will post my photo's as soon as I can but Daddybear and myself have found quite a bit more since then but still have to investigate the finds. The prefabricated pill box looks like it would withstand rifle fire but very little else and the door into it faces the sea which at first seemed odd to me but then I realised they expected troops to be dropped in behind the sea defenses and attack them from inland.

Here we go with mine (Finally). Firstly the prefab

The doorway of the prefab pillbox showing how it was bolted together (must be some honey about because Daddybear is lurking outside)





Veiws from the embrasures





Inside was in a bit of a state



But some of the shelves were still there (well at least some of them)

Then on to the lozenge pillbox. Daddybear has covered this one but I will add my photo's as well.

Firstly the outside




Then the inside - Intact Shelving




The smaller embrasures had shelves but the bigger ones had holes for machine guns rests


The doorway


The killzones over looking the A19 and A690




and finally Daddybear emerging from the pillbox... must have been some honey in there


Thanks for looking....Jon

and finally Daddybear emerging from the pillbox... must have been some honey in there

emerging like a phoenix from the flames or should that be a fat twat from a takeaway and i was sweating like an essex girl in a maths exam!!!p.s i will get you back jonney!!!beware the pieman!!

Good set of pillboxes guys. and Daddybear, what kinda camera are you using? The outdoor shots you did have a quality about them I really like. Something about the softness of the colours there, its petty cool.

BigLoada said:

Good set of pillboxes guys. and Daddybear, what kinda camera are you using? The outdoor shots you did have a quality about them I really like. Something about the softness of the colours there, its petty cool.

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i only use a point and shoot digi camera 3.1 megapixel that ive had for about 4-5 years it an I.T works 3045. i got it from currys down team valley for 40 quid with a half price voucher our lass got from doing avon.it does the job i think but i do want to upgrade to something better now ive got into this for a hobby!

Great work guys. Some darn fine examples of PB's there. You must get some pics of the pumping station, those gates look fantastic! Well done

Badoosh said:

Great work guys. Some darn fine examples of PB's there. You must get some pics of the pumping station, those gates look fantastic! Well done

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we have been resarching the pumping station and come up with this

http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/apps/ListedBuildings/LBResults.asp?Address3=Coalfields&offset=-1 check out the pics we not sure if we can get access yet but we working on it

I have seen interior shots of the pumping station i will send you the link....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hiboy/1391148118/

I think its this one!

Great pillboxes, guys...two types that I haven't seen first-hand yet.
Can't wait to see the pumping station...it looks fabulous. Gorgeous gates.

Don't think its the same pumping station jacko that one is titled 'dalton pumping station' and the one we were looking at is stonetgate pumping station. The design of both buildings is very similar though

Next Pillbox on the Stockton to Sunderland Stop Line

Finally got these photo's uploaded. Me and Daddybear found this one via google maps as it's not on the DOB database. This one is in New Herrington just on the outskirts of Sunderland about 1/2 a mile North from the last lozenge pillbox and again follows the route of the A19. Anyhoo on with the pics.

The front


The side showing the larger machine gun embrasure


The other side showing embrasure and doorway (Penshaw Monument in the backround)


The doorway was easy enough to get in as it wasn't back filled like the last one


But inside had been trashed by the locals. Why they think concrete will burn is beyond me...




Finally a view from one of the embrasures looking towards Sunderland (you can just make out Daddybears white van in the distance, that how far he made us walk lol)


Cheers Jon

Bloody fantastic Jonney I lurve Pillboxes and never ever tire of them!

Black Shuck said:

Bloody fantastic Jonney I lurve Pillboxes and never ever tire of them!

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Still more to come mate. Just got to get this bloody computer to stop crashing all the time

yeah i only parked ther cos you said you needed the exercise matewas wondering when you were gonna post them pics penshaw monument looks good in the backround there m8