The Blue Line

Well Saturday was one of them days where I had to sort a couple of things out at home, what with the central heating playing up and a leak on the roof to fix my wife then decided to do some gardening. So what did I do help he out of course by popping off to the river Kennet and starting to take some photo's along the Blue Line before Alensworld took them all. It has been an area which I have been wanting to do for a while and it was either that or get a few more on the upper Thames. The Kennet was nearer so off I went.


FIrst stop Garston Lock and a Type 28A which as you can see is bricked up with a door so that was one out I could not get inside.


Accross the lock another Type28A this one was accessable.


Back to the first one and a view along the side showing a bit of damage from age.

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Shot through the loophole shows some neat graffiti inside.


Back to the one over the lock and as you see getting covered in Ivy in marked contrast to the picture in the link. http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/386843


At least the inside was reasonably clean.


Infantry chamber seems to have no forward loophole which is the same on the other one.


Back to the first and a shot of the front showing that some time a building has been built on the front accross the blocked up loophole. A look in the left hand side of the building here shows no loophole .
Thats enough for now I'll post the other two later, can't have Jonney getting too excited now can we.

Glad to see you getting out n about fella..nice shots too.

A worthy excuse to avoid the central heating.

Nice one NC.

Righ on with the next two along the section I visited.


Next one is just off this footbridge to the left. and is a type 22


There you are under the tree so not easy to see in the summer.


Entrance with quite small pistol loophole. Number on the door is L62


Inside has been chaved and a bit messy.


Inside shot of the pistol loophole.


This is what the pillbox faced though I think the bridge has been replaced since the war.


The next along only it is on the other side of the Kennet.


And here it is on the opposite side in a fork so no chance on the occasion.


I think the weir feeding the mill race is causeing the tilt on the pillbox.


Closeup of the damaged are and shoring up of the bank.


View of the settin of where the Kennet forks and the weir feeding the Mill race.
Well that is the lot for now but I will return as there are another couple I want to Photograph.
My intention is to go along the Kennet towards Newbury and beyond following the Blue line though no dount I will be visiting some of the pillboxes Alensworld visited so this thread may turn into another one like the Thames.

Good stuff NC. keep 'em coming please.

Good shots Mr C. Don't worry, I'll leave pillbox land to you!

A

Some beauties there...lovely setting too. Cheers, NC.
Much better to have a good walk and pillbox hunt than do house stuff, I reckon.

Nice one NC

Ok guy's a return sooner than I expected to clear up something which was bothering me. Last time I went to look for five pillboxes, I ended up with four. One of the places marked on the DOB was on the Reading side of Theale but I could see no sign so I had a look at Elgin maps and that turned up a pillbox I had not expected so it's not marked on the DOB in the correct place. So back I went and managed to find two which are well hidden and one quite visible by a lock. This was also the first outing for my new Canon 60D.
On with the photo's.


This is what you see from the canal towpath but in that lot is a pillbox which faces towards the road.


This is what you see from the other side, the entrance to a type 28A.


Inside it looks like it has been used for a store.


The front showing the loophole.


There is another Type 28A in this lot, you might just be able to make out the loophole. It just upstream from the swing bridge and is the one at Theale Mill. Unfortunately there is no way to visit unless you can get permission from the owner and there is allot of CCTV about.


The pillbox can be made out to the left and looks towards the right of the swing bridge in the distance.


Next one is upstream by Sulhampstead lock.


Go across the lock to visit


This is a bit unusual as I have never seen a grill fitted to a vent before.


Front view showing the loophole. The inside was clean on the main chamber but the infantry side was full of rubbish.
That's it till I get back again for some more, hopefully with in the next few weeks as my wife gets a bit miffed when I disappear off photographing pillboxes.

MISSSSSSSTER CEEEEEEE !!!
Nice to see you out n about again !! I had thought that perhaps you'd given the old exploring lark up (all those spiders perhaps ) I haven't done this area yet so these are all new to me.Nice piccies as well, still they should be now that you have splashed the cash and bought a proper camera !!!

I'll bring you along some time if you like Fluffy or woul dyou like to go up the Sulham Valley

great work as usual NC loving those type 28's

And you've brought Jonney out of hiding too! Long time no see Jonney.

I'm back cptpies haven't been far but I'm here again

Sulhamstead Lock

Hi NC

Sulhamstead Lock also had another Type 28A right on the side of the lock which was removed when the lock was restored in the 1970s.

Skoyen89

Right time to resurrect this thread with an update. My wife had gone out for the day so I decided to get back down the Kennet and bag a few more pillboxes which turned up to be some very good ones at that, unfortunatly for Jonney they are mostly Type28's but at least there was a 26 to brake things up. The start was at Tyle Mill Lock.


This pillbox is well documented but most of the photos are taken from this side where they have blocked up the entrance and fitted a door, to the left is a toilet.


For some reason they don't take this side which I think is impressive.


Just to prove I went to look at it. Embrasures are blocked up and holes in it to suit bats which is what I think it is used for.

From the lock ist was along the towpath in the Newbury direction to the next pillbox, there are another two marked on the map but I think one may have been demolished the other I could see no sign of.
Further along You come to Ufton Nurvet Swing Bridge and this pillbox.


Partly overgrown and the embrasures looked blocked up


Looking down from one of the bridges.


From down by the river. Entrance is blocked partally but I think some one kocked out some of the blocks.


Did not go inside but took this from the entrance.


The loophole which has a good covering of Ivy.
That's the taster for now I've three more to post and a little supprise at the end.

your teasing me now mate lol

Enough teasing on with the next one.


Now this is on the otherside of the road to the last one and one which is well documented by others on here, we all know it was made to look like a shed but the most likley reason was because they used wood to cast the pillbox in and left it there.


We have wood,


More wood and


Nails used in building the shed.


Wood impressions


And more wood planks used inside


Inside the usual tip.


The next one along across the Kennet, not easy to get at.


The last one I visiting today and it's in a field full of horses so I found out, any way I hopped over
the fence to visit.


No point in goindinside it's got a foot of water in there.


The back and there is a ramp leading down to the entrance.


Rebar used in the build.


Another with mesh on the vent.


Another shot of the back showing the ramp.
Thats it for my walk after that it was atreck back to the car but I'll post the photo's I took
on the way back a bit later.

Great work, you have been busy.

Most enjoyable as always NC. Leaving the wood shuttering in place could also help solve a little mystery for me on a TSL pillbox or not as the case may be.

Using the word loophole may get you into trouble again.

Thanks for the update.