Finally i decided to concentrate on an area close to work where i had concentrated on late last year. Having visited the three PB's up past Bumbles Green at Perry Hill i finally decided on the cross country approach to PB hunting (is there any other way). Undaunted by the fact that it was like a quagmire out there with the recent rain i decided to make Bumbles Green my final destination on a thankfully lazy!! stroll through thickets, crossing streams, slipping and sliding, walking boggy fields, the usual scare from the last minute flight of pheasants. (always annoying and catches me every time!). It was eventually a 9 hour trek interspersed with ciggie breaks, and ranging from too hot or too cold. I walked from Waltham Abbey through to Upshire and cut across the fields south of Copped Hall. Met the herds of deer running around and finally hit my first point of reference - the lake and copse of trees southwest of Copped Hall in Copthall Park.
Part of what reamains of the Outer London Defence Ring (area i'm concentrating on is from Loughton - Nazeing), there The Outer London Ring was the strongest and best developed of which consisted - The London Inner Keep, London Stop Line Inner (Line C), London Stop Line Central (Line B) and London Stop Line Outer (Line A)top lines these, mainly because it could be constructed in open countryside. Work on all the lines was halted weeks later by Ironside's successor, General Alan Brooke, who favoured mobile warfare above static defence.
The ring used a mixture of natural rivers and artificial ditches up to 20 feet (6 m) wide and 12 feet (4 m) deep, encircling London completely.
North of London the ring followed a path similar to the route now taken by the M25 motorway, from Watford, following the River Colne, through Potters Bar, Cuffley, Nazeing, then running south through Epping Forest, Loughton and Chigwell. Many pillboxes and anti-tank traps are still visible at points along the ring, but in the majority of places the ditch is no longer visible, covered by the M25 or London suburbs.
Further work is needed and i shall continue research and get into the Epping, Loughton area soon.
Anyhow:
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/27) EDOBID: 9802
An FW3/27A concrete pillbox stands on the SW corner of the lake E of Copped Hall.
EDOBID: 23843
Located by the approach road to Copped Hall and Home Farm.
Sadly the graffiti merchants were out on this one but it could have been worse.
Scorched and burnt which was evident in a few of the PB's on this visit.
The view into the gun pit.
EDOBID: 23844
In the woodland of Fitches Plantation facing E across the original anti-tank ditch of the Outer London Defence Ring. Thankfully by following the deer tracks in the woods it gave me the relatively easy option of tracking between the PB's.
At last the sun comes out!
EPPING UPLAND, EPPING FOREST, ESSEX
EDOBID: 23845
West of Pond Field Plantation. Standing in a bend to the E of a stream which acted as an anti-tank ditch is a Type FW3/27, brick and concrete, octagonal pillbox. To the north of this PB there is a concrete road which leads up to the to other PB's which are to the left of the road (heading North) and are part of a nice cluster of PB's to the South of Cobbin's Brook.
Relatively unscathed.
Scrawled on the inner roof to the porch are three names all dated 04/50.
Out onto dry land after dodging the farmer tending the field.
EDOBID: 23846
Somewhere in the copse there is a PB.
A Type FW3/27 octagonal pillbox overlooking the anti-tank ditch 80 yards to the E. Like all the pillboxes from Parvills Farm southwards this one is brick clad. Wood was originally used for shuttering but when this became scarce flettons were used and then left in position. This pillbox has been buried up to the gun ports presenting a low target to an attacker.
EDOBID: 23847
An unusual feature of this pillbox is the large ""hump"" of concrete which has been added to the N corner. Inside, the fibreboard lining is badly burnt and there is a step halfway round the interior.
EDOBID: 23848
Pillbox on NE corner of Spratt's Hedgerow Wood and sat on the north bank of Cobbin's Brook.
Part of an AT roadblock???
EDOBID: 23849
Almost completely hidden in blackthorn bushes at the NE corner of Gills Plantation is a Type FW3/27, brick and concrete octagonal pillbox. Although the siting naturally follows the anti-tank ditch/gulley the pillbox would have been totally dominated by a steep hill immediately to the E.
The slip and slide into the gulley. The fun was getting back up gain. As you can see the clay based soil is being eroded away and exposing the base foundation.
EDOBID: 9803
Facing NE towards Ballhill Wood 100 yards away. As with all Type 27's the entrance forms something of a ""porch"" and the roof of this has been partly demolished. Originally, this pillbox stood on the edge of the Outer London Defence Ring anti-tank ditch which crossed the field almost directly from Parvills Farm gateway and then continued SE via the field boundary to the NE corner of Gills Plantation.
View facing the anti tank ditch in the line of the trees.
EDOBID: 9804
Pillbox SE of Harold's Park Farm
Continuing the journey i missed out the sites of two removed Pb's. One originally sited at the entrance to Parvills Farm and another which was sited to the North of the farm.
EDOBID: 23850
The line of the Outer London Defence Ring runs eastwards from King Harold's Head public house and then turns south to the high ground of Harold's Park Farm. On top of the hill, almost hidden in thicket is a Type FW3/27 concrete pillbox which originally stood on the edge of the anti-tank ditch - now shown on maps as a drainage channel. From here, the views to the N across Nazeingwood Common are extensive and the pillbox would have had an almost unlimited field of fire.
The flooded interior.
Finally hopping over the gate to the allotments at Bumbles Green.
Part of what reamains of the Outer London Defence Ring (area i'm concentrating on is from Loughton - Nazeing), there The Outer London Ring was the strongest and best developed of which consisted - The London Inner Keep, London Stop Line Inner (Line C), London Stop Line Central (Line B) and London Stop Line Outer (Line A)top lines these, mainly because it could be constructed in open countryside. Work on all the lines was halted weeks later by Ironside's successor, General Alan Brooke, who favoured mobile warfare above static defence.
The ring used a mixture of natural rivers and artificial ditches up to 20 feet (6 m) wide and 12 feet (4 m) deep, encircling London completely.
North of London the ring followed a path similar to the route now taken by the M25 motorway, from Watford, following the River Colne, through Potters Bar, Cuffley, Nazeing, then running south through Epping Forest, Loughton and Chigwell. Many pillboxes and anti-tank traps are still visible at points along the ring, but in the majority of places the ditch is no longer visible, covered by the M25 or London suburbs.
Further work is needed and i shall continue research and get into the Epping, Loughton area soon.
Anyhow:
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/27) EDOBID: 9802
An FW3/27A concrete pillbox stands on the SW corner of the lake E of Copped Hall.
EDOBID: 23843
Located by the approach road to Copped Hall and Home Farm.
Sadly the graffiti merchants were out on this one but it could have been worse.
Scorched and burnt which was evident in a few of the PB's on this visit.
The view into the gun pit.
EDOBID: 23844
In the woodland of Fitches Plantation facing E across the original anti-tank ditch of the Outer London Defence Ring. Thankfully by following the deer tracks in the woods it gave me the relatively easy option of tracking between the PB's.
At last the sun comes out!
EPPING UPLAND, EPPING FOREST, ESSEX
EDOBID: 23845
West of Pond Field Plantation. Standing in a bend to the E of a stream which acted as an anti-tank ditch is a Type FW3/27, brick and concrete, octagonal pillbox. To the north of this PB there is a concrete road which leads up to the to other PB's which are to the left of the road (heading North) and are part of a nice cluster of PB's to the South of Cobbin's Brook.
Relatively unscathed.
Scrawled on the inner roof to the porch are three names all dated 04/50.
Out onto dry land after dodging the farmer tending the field.
EDOBID: 23846
Somewhere in the copse there is a PB.
A Type FW3/27 octagonal pillbox overlooking the anti-tank ditch 80 yards to the E. Like all the pillboxes from Parvills Farm southwards this one is brick clad. Wood was originally used for shuttering but when this became scarce flettons were used and then left in position. This pillbox has been buried up to the gun ports presenting a low target to an attacker.
EDOBID: 23847
An unusual feature of this pillbox is the large ""hump"" of concrete which has been added to the N corner. Inside, the fibreboard lining is badly burnt and there is a step halfway round the interior.
EDOBID: 23848
Pillbox on NE corner of Spratt's Hedgerow Wood and sat on the north bank of Cobbin's Brook.
Part of an AT roadblock???
EDOBID: 23849
Almost completely hidden in blackthorn bushes at the NE corner of Gills Plantation is a Type FW3/27, brick and concrete octagonal pillbox. Although the siting naturally follows the anti-tank ditch/gulley the pillbox would have been totally dominated by a steep hill immediately to the E.
The slip and slide into the gulley. The fun was getting back up gain. As you can see the clay based soil is being eroded away and exposing the base foundation.
EDOBID: 9803
Facing NE towards Ballhill Wood 100 yards away. As with all Type 27's the entrance forms something of a ""porch"" and the roof of this has been partly demolished. Originally, this pillbox stood on the edge of the Outer London Defence Ring anti-tank ditch which crossed the field almost directly from Parvills Farm gateway and then continued SE via the field boundary to the NE corner of Gills Plantation.
View facing the anti tank ditch in the line of the trees.
EDOBID: 9804
Pillbox SE of Harold's Park Farm
Continuing the journey i missed out the sites of two removed Pb's. One originally sited at the entrance to Parvills Farm and another which was sited to the North of the farm.
EDOBID: 23850
The line of the Outer London Defence Ring runs eastwards from King Harold's Head public house and then turns south to the high ground of Harold's Park Farm. On top of the hill, almost hidden in thicket is a Type FW3/27 concrete pillbox which originally stood on the edge of the anti-tank ditch - now shown on maps as a drainage channel. From here, the views to the N across Nazeingwood Common are extensive and the pillbox would have had an almost unlimited field of fire.
The flooded interior.
Finally hopping over the gate to the allotments at Bumbles Green.
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youve certainly been busy
