Tilehurst pillbox

Not sure this can be classed as a pillbox being as the slots are very narrow. Now I do know one of the local guys who posts on here has been inside but I'm afraid I really did not want to hop over the wall into a load of brambles. Sorry there are only three photos. I might add I went to school over in Southcote from where I live and used to go past here on the bus. We used to see the slots in the pillbox then only there were two, the other is hidden under ivy. The pillbox can be seen from the train as you go past which is what mad me laugh when I read how it was logged by the DOB " Little square pillbox, variant form of type 26, which overlooks very high railway cutting. Built at angle into the end of a wall. Windows blocked up. [Recorder observed pillbox from passing fast train!]
(Source: Field Visit 1996/12/13)"
Might add it is not square more a rectangle and I'd say it was more like and observation box, but you make your minds up.


As seen from the footpath.


Looking over the wall, not a place you would want to jump.


The one slot which can be seen, the other is there under the ivy and brambles.

Post box ? be interesting to clear the forestry and have a look

nice one NC am sure I read somewhere that this was sealed up and is now a roosting place for bats but I'll stand corrected if I'm wrong. I'd say it was an observation post as well mate because them embrasures look far too narrow to be anything else. Nice to see you've found something that isn't a 28 lol

jonney said:

nice one NC am sure I read somewhere that this was sealed up and is now a roosting place for bats lol

Click to expand...

Ah! The Batcave

highcannons said:

Ah! The Batcave

Click to expand...

and no sign of robin lol

Nice one NC, any idea what, if it was an observation post it could have been observing?

Could not say, it faces up the A329 road towards Reading.

FOP. They'd have called down heavy fire from elsewhere. This would have been well hidden even back then.

Another bat retirement home... love it.
It's disappearing into the undergrowth quite nicely, I don't think I would have enjoyed scrabbling through the brambles at the moment. It's too cold to be bleeding (that's my excuse & I'm sticking to it!)

I dont no a lot about pill boxes so carnt realy comment but i liked the nice snowy pictures mate

Hmmnnn, sandwiched between the main stopline to the west and Reading ATI to the east and at the convergence of road, rail and river. Assuming there is a view down the hill over open ground to the north I would agree with Seahorse, Forward observation post.

Would be nice to get inside and clear the floor for a better look too.

Nice one NC. Don't blame you for avoiding the brambles mate, I would have hesitated to jump in there too. Looks like you could have got on top though, 'spec ya did.

Unusual one that, I'd agree with the FOP theory with slit embrasures like that. Might be worth looking at the old OS Map to see what the sight lines would have been like when it was built.

Not much different, the pub just up the road was there in the war (shut now) and the A329 has changed very little.

Reading was an Anti-Tank Island and had defences put up because of this. This is likely to be part of those. It would be interesting to see what else exists of them as there is little on the DOB database given the size of the place.