Further up the Thames

On a day when I feel like I was climbing the wall with boredom I decided it was time for some fresh air and a walk along the Thames at Chimney. This was a trip I had been planning for a while and would comprise of four pillboxes which were along the Thames and on an easy walk as long as I did not end up in the Thames. I started at Tadpole Bridge and walked towards Chimney as the three I was after were on the Chimney Meadows National Nature Reserve. My Apologies to Fluffy for not phoning it was a spur of the moment thing. The next walk will be from Tadpole Bridge to Radcot so I'll bring you along then.
Any way less of the talking and on with the photo's.


This is the first you will come across and is about 1.5km along the Thames path as you can see it's blocked up and used as a home for bats.


This side is showing signs of erosion


Crumbly concrete and rebar, the frost is getting to it.


Next one along is in CHimney Meadows and is sat on the biggest base I've seen yet.


The entrance has a staircase leading to it.


And apart from some old turds inside it in good condition.


Last one in the nature reserve and for the second time I had to hop over a frozen ditch.


Steps on this one so not that impressive.


Inside good apart from the birdshit. after this it was a trek back to Tadpole Bridge and another pillbox on the way to Rushley Lock.


First thing I notice was it is blocked up.


The back at leas is half blocked with a gate for bats to fly in or birds for that matter.


Last shot before walking back to my car. That's it with the Thames or Isis in this part for this year I'll probably get on with the next section in the new year. Hope you enjoyed my wanders and Happy new year to you all and safe explores.

I've never seen them with bases and steps up to the entrance like that before. Nice one, NC...and well done on completing another section.
It's about time I completed my Axe Valley bit of the Taunton Stop Line! New year...new exploring resolutions.

Great shots mate and fair play for getting out there in this weather.
Looks like a good stroll.
Whats with the old turd Gag i nearly wet myself

SK

Well it is the season to be jolly, glad you liked them.

Me too with the old turd moment there NC. Just got here after viewing SK's 15 million'th report of the last nano second and thought I had no energy left to take in another post tonight. Glad I did though, nice set of boxes and you showing your humorous side has woken me right up again.

The large bases are unusual to me. I've seen a few elevated PB's on the TSL but they don't have the elevated section wider than the box itself. The one on the Forton stretch has a base which is almost as tall as the PB proper.

Happy new year to you too and look forward to more of your posts. Each time, you remind me that I really need to get back to the stoplines

First Class NC, Great photos as per usual, well worth venturing in this weather.

You are certainly very dedicated to the cause. I haven't even been on the interweb until today. Pigs in blankets beat pillboxes hands down in my book (not a lot else does though).

great stuff as usual NC. Love the way the snow makes the concrete stand out.In my opinion the reason for the raised bases is that the land they are built on must have been prone to flooding so the pillboxes had to be elevated to keep them dry

jonney said:

great stuff as usual NC. Love the way the snow makes the concrete stand out.In my opinion the reason for the raised bases is that the land they are built on must have been prone to flooding so the pillboxes had to be elevated to keep them dry

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Where the Taunton Stopline is concerned jonney, elevation was definitely more about obtaining the best angle of fire than anything else. At least on the ones I've seen thus far.

Not that I disagree with you in the case of these boxes though as I'm not familiar with the area or terrain.

Munchh said:

Where the Taunton Stopline is concerned jonney, elevation was definitely more about obtaining the best angle of fire than anything else. At least on the ones I've seen thus far.

Not that I disagree with you in the case of these boxes though as I'm not familiar with the area or terrain.

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It was only that the ones I've come across with raised bases like this have been in very wet areas

That area is a flood plane and to get to the two in the meadows I had to jump over a frozen ditch, the land surrounding them is very marshy at the moment as well. If you look at Paniramio in Google earth where I have linked them you can also see some one posted a photo of the one with the large base with water lapping round the edge.

Good observation there then jonney. And hats off to the engineers for getting their figures right. Far more involved in the planning and construction of these defences than the casual observer would think.

NIce one mate looking at doing the pillboxes from buscot wier either towards lechade and beyond or towards witney seen a couple from buscot wier bridge that look ok.

weather permitting off to do the ones in the Honeystreet/Alton Barnes area few on main road and the canal

I'll be doing Radcot to Lechlade once I have gone from Tadpole bridge to Radcot but I need to team up with some one who can drive as it's a long way between bridges to walk there and back.

night crawler said:

I'll be doing Radcot to Lechlade once I have gone from Tadpole bridge to Radcot but I need to team up with some one who can drive as it's a long way between bridges to walk there and back.

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might have to make that a date then i dont mind driving just getting the time due to work