Long Ashton WW2 Loopholed Walls

Quite often when I'm in the car with Krela on the way to the motorway we stop at a set of traffic lights just outside Bristol in a rather nice, posh wooded area called Abbots Leigh right next to Leigh Woods. Theres a stone wall near the traffic lights with four loopholes or embrasures, we've eyeballed them from the car numerous times so today I decided I'd have a closer look.

One of the four embrasures overlooking the road junction of Beggars Bush Lane and Abbots Leigh Road.



Two of the four embrasures, I should have taken shears as the wall was very overgrown.



The other side of the wall, interior of two of the four embrasures.



To take the shot above I had to hang over the wall and point the camera and hope for the best, as I was about to climb down the wall I noticed a small concrete building in the garden of a private house, about 6 to 8ft away from the embrasures but seperated by another chunky stone wall.

Not the best of shots but you should be able to see the entrance. Could be a air raid shelter or ammo store for the local Home Guard unit?




Bishop

Oops I posted the same pic twice. Heres the one I meant to post, its the corner of the Home Guard pillbox or shelter, to be honest I'm not really sure what it is so I think I might have another look tomorrow.



Just down the road and take the first left and theres another loopholed wall facing west, it guards a wide track through the woods at Leigh Dyke.



Interior of one of the four embrasures.



About half a mile away at the junction of Longwood Lane and Beggars Bush Lane are more loopholed embrasures, again there are four embrasures but these are 8 to 9ft above the road level. The ground behind the wall is apparently 3ft higher than the road level.



Just down the road the last one, on the junction of the B3128 and Providence Lane. Same again with four embrasures but this time very low, you'd have to be lying down to fire a rifle through one of these embrasures.





Low embrasure interior. Had to move a load of road signs and cans of Special Brew out of the way first.



B

Hi Bishop
That is a really nice wall. Was it originally a defence wall, or part of a battery with just the remains of one wall, do you think?
Cheers for that
Foxy

Hey Foxylady these are four different locations all within half a mile or so of each other, all of these positions face sort of west and I guess were to be manned by the local Home Guard? I'd guess that three of the positions were probably owned by the local big rich bods at Ashton Court House (nice deer park).

ST 5352 7187 One near track to Leigh Dyke.
ST 537 711 With low embrasures.
ST 535 719 The 8-9ft high one.
ST 552 731 First one I wrote about with the pillbox/shelter (?) next to it.

B

Other examples of loopholed positions.

Southampton, bridge over railway line. Pic from DoB database.



Again from DoB in Paignton I think?



Edinburgh (DoB).



Another DoB shot of a filled loopholed wall, not sure where?



Loopholed wall at Elstead, pic from Wikipedia.



Worcestershire County Council page on gun loops in Fairfield.
http://worcestershire.whub.org.uk/home/wccindex/wcc-arch/wcc-arch-research/wcc-arch-surv/wcc-arch-surv-defence-loopholed.htm

B

Hi B,

Nice work for spotting those loophole walls -could easily be missed!
Particulary like the one in Paignton -ideal for fending off unwanted door-to-door salesmen!!

Lb

Hi Bishop
Just want to thank you for that link to the Worcester loopholes. I've just been looking at The Defence of Worcestershire Project as I was born & spent my earlier years there so was particularly interested (my Grandad was in the Worcester Regiment during WW2, although I don't know which Battalion).
I found it interesting that much of the research into radar was done at Malvern & that the listening posts were instrumental in some important bombing strategies, plus info. re. the stop lines there.
Thanks again for that.
Cheers
Foxy

No, no! Thank you Foxylady. I'd not really looked at the Worcs Council website properly I didn't realise there was more stuff on there to read, and I agree its very interesting stuff.

Worcestershire is within range of Bristol for a day out (with an early start) so I think I'll do a bit of research this weekend and find out what might be worth a visit up there?

B