Pillboxes along the Thames

[AndyC]

Returnng to the Elan Valley - I think I know where the confusion comes in.

The pillbox is guarding a submerged dam' on the original complex, that was completed in 1904.

However the largest reservoir, the Claerwen, was then added in 1952.

 

[night crawler]

Yep and opened by the queen I have poto's of the dam as well.

 

[night crawler]

Last of the pillboxes I have for now I hope to get some more when the floods subside. This is in Wallingford right by the swimming pool. Unfortunatly you can't acess it as it is used for storage and was when I was a kid.

As you see it from the Wallingford side of the Thames

Doubt the tree was there when they built it.

From further round, with all intencive purposes it looked like a normal pillbox.

That is untill I went round this side and noticed the size of the door.

Then went round the other side and saw the opening, that was the first time I have seen it and I have lived round here all my life, sence this one I have found a few more as you have seen from the previous photo's

 

[vmlopes]

Wow, would never have thought that about the boathouse.

Have been in there loads of times, played in the boats and fished off it. My dad worked at Carmel College.......

 

[night crawler]

I knew of this one along the road between Benson and Shillingford so stopped on emorning and took a few photo's.

This is what you see over the hedge, in the spring or if your driveing by you will miss it.

This is looking at it from just outside the fence (you can see that in the photo)

Bit out of focus and it was not my normal camera but I was suprised to see it was a big one again.

looking through the entrance

from inside the entrance

After climbing through the embrasure I took this photo. Quite an impressive pillbox and in really good condition.

 

[night crawler]

Thi sis one I have already posted a few shots back. It's on the Littlestoke side of the river and I took a picture of it from the Cholsey side. It looks from that photo that it is beside the towpath but as you can see it's in the garden. I did not see any one to ask last time but I do intend to go back and see if I can take some photos from the garden.

Problem I had with getting closer on the towpath was due to the flooding, it was half way up my wellies where I stood to take this photo.

 

[jonney]

Great boxes and the nicest thing is they are not vandalized like the ones we have up here. Why do people have to write their names over pieces of history? Its beyond me.

 

[night crawler]

Had a good weekend. Friday I revisited a couple of near me, took more photo's. Sat I went towards Benson and found 3 one of which I managed to visit. Sun went and visited a couple on th efar sie of the river from me one of which I went in and took photo's. I'll post th epictures in the week.

 

[night crawler]

Right start off with some I took the weekend.

As you can see in a riverside garden.

This one is a few meters upstram from the other.

Zoomed in shot showing that the opening is shuttered up, may be in use as a summer house.

Another shot of the smaller pillbox.

Better shot oif the shuttering on the pillbox

You should be able to make out the second pillbox to the far right by the trees.

Next one is along th eriver a bit behind Benson lock

Spotted it from the road whist we were driveing past the other week.

Lots of shrubbery starting to groiw round it though it is kept down by cattle

There is a branch fallen by the door and it gets flooded round here.

Lot of rubbish in the smaller chamber

Though the main chamber is resonbly clear.

One of the embrasures

Final look from the back

And the front.

I revisited the two near me, this one that is half buried near fairmile

The grate across the front has gone.

This is the entrance now.

And as I'm getting too old to grovle around I put my camer through the opening and took this.
Looks to me like it could be cor Bats, I might be wrong but if it is then they are protected
so I advice caution if you cone across one like this. It also leads me to believe that the other two pillboxes in the
area like this have bat boxes in as well. I will look at one and see if this is the case.
Will post more later.

 

[Foxylady]

It also leads me to believe that the other two pillboxes in the
area like this have bat boxes in as well. I will look at one and see if this is the case...

I remember reading backalong that a lot of pillboxes are used to encourage bat colonies. Cool find there, NC, and excellent pics of your revisits.

 

[night crawler]

Ok this is a revisit to the Gun empacement after I ran out of barrey power on my camera.

This is looking at the emplacement which is at the end of waht would have meen Moulsford railway station in Brunel times.

Shell locker.

As you see it has been infilled mostly with rubble and dirt and ivy is growing over it. I had an exportory dig in the middle to see if I could find the gun mounting point but gave up after 150mm

View of the whole structure though there is not much else to see. Shame it's filled in but my friend said he use dto play in it when he was younger. He lived in what was teh Waterloo pub not far away.
More photo's later.

 

[night crawler]

I took these last weekend when I finally managed to get along the tow path as the floods had gone down. The first photo I took of it is on the first page here and the second was when I found it was inthe garden at Littlestoke house.

As you can see it is in the garden and I suspect is used as a store of some kind.

Took this from the riverside gate to their garden. The house is in the Background.
I did think of hopping over the fence but most of these boxes are the same inside anyway.

Shot from a bit further along the towpath showing the pillbox is by a stream as well.

Believe it or not there is one under all that shrubbery you see. It's the one by the four arches railway bridge at Cholsey that I posted previously. Might give you an idea as to how hard it is to get to.

And this is the one I came to see on the opposet side of the river to one above.

Not so hard to get to this one and brick faced like it's friend over the river.

Looking through the embrasure I noticed the inside was different to the others I has seen.

Entrance showing what looked like a patern on the shield

That turned out to be blue engineering bricks. Looks cool.

Quick look inside

which looking like a shite heap

Shot of the embrasure

And the fancy brickwork

Then one of the outside embrasure.

Thats the lot for now till I find some more to take though that should not be long.

 

[Foxylady]

Excellent stuff, nc. Really enjoying these. Look forward to the next batch.

 

[night crawler]

Most productive morning, Got photo's of a pillbox and gun emplacement and a road block, plus I tried out my new boot's adn GPS. Will post the photo's later.

 

[night crawler]

First shot of the next pillbox I visited. This can be see about half way along the bank between Benson and Shillingford.

The view you get as you walk along the bank. I sure you can see it from the road in places.

Can get quite well hidden by this lot.

Entrance

Inside. The crap you see is from when the Thamse floods, apart from the bag of dog shit some lazy bastard left in there.

And of course this lot which is a mixture of both flotsome and rubbish.

This is looking out the main embrasure towards Shillingford bridge

Just towards the river showing a willow that has grown and fallen over.

From the front at the large embrasure, that is a ditch in front of it.

And a lot of water beside it.

 

[night crawler]

Last batch from this little trip. I only forund it as I got nearer Shillingford bridge and thought that there should be something near by. I looked past the bushes behind the fence and spotted something that I thought was concreat. After takeing the pictures of the roadblock and setting off back to Benson I had a further look and confirmed there was something there. After scrabbling across a ditch and through undergrowth I saw this

I was quite excited to find another gun emplacement.

First look inside

All the shell lockers

Even got steps to it

The steps

Looking as the back of the steps. There is a fence either side of it and a property one behind me,though after takeing this I got out.

Shot of th ewhole inside, this was mostly old leaves and twigs so though I looked I could not confirm if the gun mounting point was still there though I dare say it is. This is certanly better that the last one I found.

This was to show the position. The hedge on the right is the garden fence and if you look cairfull you can see the start of Shillingford bridge by the tree directly in front. It's less than 50 mtrs away.

Last shot and then I was gone. Not sure which way to do now, towards Goring or Dorchester, I'm spoildt for choice.

 

[Foxylady]

Some more excellent finds there, nc. Especially like the gun emplacement.

 

[Mr Sam]

OFMG that must be my dream house! full of character and evern a place to park a boat and even a metasequoia glyptorostraboides in the garden

 

[Weeto]

NC you are a legend im gonna have to go out exploreing more of the essex sites that are near me.

 

[night crawler]

No just an old fart.
Right thought I get some roadblocks at Little Whiitnam this weekend and was pleased to see this across the river.

Right by the cut and in a garden.

Cropped shot of the pillbox. Driven past here hundreds of times and never noticed it.