- Joined
- Jan 6, 2013
- Messages
- 5,580
- Reaction score
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1. The History
Freiston Shore coastal battery is an ensemble of gun emplacements, observation posts, coastal artillery search lights and magazines on the coast due east of Boston, Lincolnshire. It was an emergency battery built during the Second World War as part of Northern Command's coastal defences. It was commissioned in May 1940 and armed with two 6-inch breech-loading MkVII naval guns. Records show it was in use up until September 1944. The two 6-inch gun emplacements retain their anti-strafing measures. A low-level battery observation post and coast artillery searchlights are still intact, as are two earth-protected magazines.
In 2000 The RSPB established their reserve here when the outer sea bank was breached helping to create additional salt marsh and help with flood defences.
2. The Explore
Easy access and relaxed wander. Can’t really beat a bit of WWII concrete porn. Been before but the light was fading on that day and the sun didn’t show its face once. Hence nice to go back on a really fresh sunny September afternoon.
3. The Pictures
Pillbox exterior:
img3238 by HughieDW, on Flickr
…and the interior. Clean specimen this:
img3235 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3237 by HughieDW, on Flickr
3 bay pillbox:
img3250 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3251 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Freiston 05 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Gun emplacement - view out over the marshes:
img3243 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Holdfast plate for the gun. 24 of the studs exist each being about 1in in diameter, 17 of these retain their nuts.
img3242 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Earth-protected magazine buildings:
img3240 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3245 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3246 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Freiston 02 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Freiston 03 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Freiston 04 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Cute little hut hiding away in the undergrowth:
img3249 by HughieDW, on Flickr
The Observation post:
img3257 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3256 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3253 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3259 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Rear view:
img3261 by HughieDW, on Flickr
And finally, another pillbox:
Freiston 08 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3264 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Freiston Shore coastal battery is an ensemble of gun emplacements, observation posts, coastal artillery search lights and magazines on the coast due east of Boston, Lincolnshire. It was an emergency battery built during the Second World War as part of Northern Command's coastal defences. It was commissioned in May 1940 and armed with two 6-inch breech-loading MkVII naval guns. Records show it was in use up until September 1944. The two 6-inch gun emplacements retain their anti-strafing measures. A low-level battery observation post and coast artillery searchlights are still intact, as are two earth-protected magazines.
In 2000 The RSPB established their reserve here when the outer sea bank was breached helping to create additional salt marsh and help with flood defences.
2. The Explore
Easy access and relaxed wander. Can’t really beat a bit of WWII concrete porn. Been before but the light was fading on that day and the sun didn’t show its face once. Hence nice to go back on a really fresh sunny September afternoon.
3. The Pictures
Pillbox exterior:
![48702057072_7d1a3046f7_b.jpg 48702057072_7d1a3046f7_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255481-48702057072-7d1a3046f7-b.jpg)
…and the interior. Clean specimen this:
![48702061612_b9b5b9a068_b.jpg 48702061612_b9b5b9a068_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255482-48702061612-b9b5b9a068-b.jpg)
![48701555423_8af9e8cafc_b.jpg 48701555423_8af9e8cafc_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255483-48701555423-8af9e8cafc-b.jpg)
3 bay pillbox:
![48702041117_7c922f03ea_b.jpg 48702041117_7c922f03ea_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255484-48702041117-7c922f03ea-b.jpg)
![48702040217_3c61fe9a22_b.jpg 48702040217_3c61fe9a22_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255485-48702040217-3c61fe9a22-b.jpg)
![48701911236_a36119f983_b.jpg 48701911236_a36119f983_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255486-48701911236-a36119f983-b.jpg)
Gun emplacement - view out over the marshes:
![48701546963_fa04dfd5a5_b.jpg 48701546963_fa04dfd5a5_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255487-48701546963-fa04dfd5a5-b.jpg)
Holdfast plate for the gun. 24 of the studs exist each being about 1in in diameter, 17 of these retain their nuts.
![48702051952_86ef650d06_b.jpg 48702051952_86ef650d06_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255488-48702051952-86ef650d06-b.jpg)
Earth-protected magazine buildings:
![48701551683_20f20b015b_b.jpg 48701551683_20f20b015b_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255489-48701551683-20f20b015b-b.jpg)
![48701543853_78d31a96e9_b.jpg 48701543853_78d31a96e9_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255490-48701543853-78d31a96e9-b.jpg)
![48701878381_de8bc14a5b_b.jpg 48701878381_de8bc14a5b_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255491-48701878381-de8bc14a5b-b.jpg)
![48701912956_498a301709_b.jpg 48701912956_498a301709_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255492-48701912956-498a301709-b.jpg)
![48702079752_845ccde3ea_b.jpg 48702079752_845ccde3ea_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255493-48702079752-845ccde3ea-b.jpg)
![48702079162_af73f38560_b.jpg 48702079162_af73f38560_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255494-48702079162-af73f38560-b.jpg)
Cute little hut hiding away in the undergrowth:
![48701540183_16bb7e681c_b.jpg 48701540183_16bb7e681c_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255495-48701540183-16bb7e681c-b.jpg)
The Observation post:
![48702033232_f77fcffd3b_b.jpg 48702033232_f77fcffd3b_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255496-48702033232-f77fcffd3b-b.jpg)
![48701867866_b25ed1b7da_b.jpg 48701867866_b25ed1b7da_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255497-48701867866-b25ed1b7da-b.jpg)
![48702038902_87081b73e8_b.jpg 48702038902_87081b73e8_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255498-48702038902-87081b73e8-b.jpg)
![48701863906_fc94037c11_b.jpg 48701863906_fc94037c11_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255499-48701863906-fc94037c11-b.jpg)
Rear view:
![48702029207_b211cded40_b.jpg 48702029207_b211cded40_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255500-48702029207-b211cded40-b.jpg)
And finally, another pillbox:
![48701572613_805e98a368_b.jpg 48701572613_805e98a368_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255501-48701572613-805e98a368-b.jpg)
![48701859261_b1a12b70c9_b.jpg 48701859261_b1a12b70c9_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/255/255502-48701859261-b1a12b70c9-b.jpg)