WW2 Field-Gun House, Ellastone, Staffs, May '10.

[Kaputnik]

Just inside the Staffordshire border at Ellastone, close to where the river Dove marks the boundary between Derbyshire and Staffordshire, this easily overlooked building stands at the side of the road by a stone road- bridge, appearing at first to look like a farm building/cattle shed of some kind, it is in fact a relic from WW2, a purpose built field gun emplacement, positioned to cover the bridge in the event of enemy forces rolling in, it's shape being disguised well by the pitched roof and two concrete pillars at the front.

Part of the 50 or so defensive structures along the stop line that follows the course of the river Dove, the building is a hexagonal shape, with a long back wall, which includes an entrace doorway, protected on the outside by an 18in thick blast wall.

Whatever weapon was intended to be housed here would have to have been rolled in through the 6ft high, 8ft wide front facing opening,

The concrete walls are all 18in thick, the ceiling being made from railway sleepers, supported by 1ft wide steel strips, 9ft apart, (possibly back to back angle section, as there was a groove or gap down the middle of each strip,) a void must exist above this ceiling and the corrugated roof above.

ceiling timbers...

Rear entrance opening, and blast wall...

A view of the bridge that it would have protected..

A wander across the bridge turned up this tall type 24 on the opposite side of the road,

I like the 'Negative' imprint of the wood shuttering used when the concrete was poured, ( I'm a bit sad like that!) gives a bit of a clue about how the things were made

It's view of the road was probably better 70 years ago,

Thanks for looking.

 

[mexico75]

Thats really cool, its nice that you can still see the ghost of the cammo paint on the walls.

 

[hydealfred]

Good find - thanks for posting.

 

[night crawler]

Looks a great find, it shows up as a gun emplacement on my database.

 

[the_historian]

Great stuff.
Thanks for posting.

 

[fluffy5518]

Absolutely Stonking !!Another location to visit !!

 

[tigger2]

Walking from there along the Dove to Marchington there are several more pillboxes.
Also see my post on Calwich Abbey (last year?) which is a short walk from the bridge.
The old Norbury station platform can be seen, along with two bridge supports a short walk upstream. Before getting to that there is a mill race and just after the point where the railway crossed the Dove there is the wier. Opposite side of the river and upstream of Calwich Abbey is another millrace (which also fed the abbey fish lake) and it's associated weir

All in all this is a very good spot for 'urbex'

 

[Neosea]

Nice find Kaputnik

 

[krela]

a void must exist above this ceiling and the corrugated roof above.

Unlikely, it's probably solid concrete.

 

[cptpies]

Great set of pictures. A wonderful example of camouflage.

 

[chris]

Really interesting find - well done

 

[Kaputnik]

Thanks for the replies, all.
Tigger2... You're right, a good spot for explores, I'll get some pics up of the Calwich estate fishing lodge when i get chance.
Krela... I couldn't get a look into the area between the corrugated roof and the railway sleepers, but wondered if concrete had been poured above them for extra strength, if i go back i'll try giving one of the sleepers a shove from below to see if anything is above it

 

[Foxylady]

Great find...really interesting and unusual. Good stuff.

 

[Walrus75]

couldn't get a look into the area between the corrugated roof and the railway sleepers, but wondered if concrete had been poured above them for extra strength, if i go back i'll try giving one of the sleepers a shove from below to see if anything is above it

...

Hmmm, looks like part of the corrugated roofing is missing up there on the right hand side, you just need something to stand on to see inside . I'd say that it isn't infilled with concrete between the sleepers and roof because if it was infilled you wouldn't need the rather obvious rafters that protrude out of the top of the walls... you'd just nail the corrugated roofing down to the infill.
Nice find, makes you wonder how many people have gone past it over the years and not given it a second thought... or even a first one!

 

[Kaputnik]

Walrus75, had a good look but the broken part didn't extend past the thickness of the concrete wall at any point, so couldn't see for sure.

 

[smileysal]

Nice find mate, and like the pillbox hiding over the road, and love those steps down to it. I have to admit, I've driven past that building, either on the way to somewhere, or just wandering around, and never thought to stop and have a look. Next time I'm across that way, will have to have a look around.

Cheers mate,

Sal

 

[Munchh]

Excellent find. Thanks for posting.

I only know of two in Somerset that were disguised to look like something else. One I've seen myself on the Taunton Stopline (S0002991). The other is in Yeovil and disguised as a Gazebo/ Summerhouse. I haven't visited and photographed it yet but it's on my list to do.

 

[Dirus_Strictus]

If you look at the distance between the bottom of the rear entrance lintel and the sleeper ceiling shown in the inner view, then compare the the outside view of the rear wall you see two things - 1/ There is obviously a solid concrete roof of approx 18"/20" poured over the sleeper 'shuttering' as the pour lines are clearly visible. 2/ Two concrete 'gables' have then been poured on top of the flat roof to support the wooden beams for the false pitched corrugated roof.