# random pillbox/bunker



## djmartyc (Sep 22, 2008)

hi whilst walking the dog on local heath land yesterday i couldn't help noticing a pillbox/bunker just the other side of the fence(but in someone's garden),right next to the footpath!only got 1 pic as my girlfriend didn't think it a good idea to wonder into someone's garden!(pic taken on my fone so not very good sorry)






marty


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## oldscrote (Sep 23, 2008)

Looking at that barb wire I would say your girlfriend has a lot of savvy,I wish however I had a nice pill box in my garden rather than its current crop of weeds.


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## kernowexpeditionary (Sep 23, 2008)

get over that lil fence!

if caught "im just looking for my dog, hes run off and im really worried"


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## djmartyc (Sep 23, 2008)

if my girlfriend wasn't with me at the time i would have had a better look!the fence is only waist height & you can't even see the house from where the pillbox/bunker is!the garden is BIG!!i will go back & have another look & my girlfriend informed me last night there is an roc post just down the road opposite her nan's house!so do you think this is a bunker or pillbox??


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## krela (Sep 23, 2008)

djmartyc said:


> if my girlfriend wasn't with me at the time i would have had a better look!the fence is only waist height & you can't even see the house from where the pillbox/bunker is!the garden is BIG!!i will go back & have another look & my girlfriend informed me last night there is an roc post just down the road opposite her nan's house!so do you think this is a bunker or pillbox??



'bunker' is a generic word used for any building in which occupants can take shelter, it's totally meaningless in practical terms. Pillboxes are bunkers, air raid shelters are bunkers, roc posts are bunkers.

It's a pillbox (and a bunker)


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## djmartyc (Sep 23, 2008)

krela said:


> 'bunker' is a generic word used for any building in which occupants can take shelter, it's totally meaningless in practical terms. Pillboxes are bunkers, air raid shelters are bunkers, roc posts are bunkers.
> 
> It's a pillbox (and a bunker)



thank's for that should have payed more attention at school lol!i'll get some better pic's at a later date!i'm thinking of asking the owner's if they mind me taking a few pic's!


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## krela (Sep 23, 2008)

djmartyc said:


> thank's for that should have payed more attention at school lol!i'll get some better pic's at a later date!i'm thinking of asking the owner's if they mind me taking a few pic's!



Pffff I didn't learn that at school, we only did boring shit in history like the monarchs etc. I'm just a closet WW2 nerd.


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## djmartyc (Sep 23, 2008)

ah a WW2 nerd hay!came across this website today might interest you http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/roc/index2.shtml


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## krela (Sep 23, 2008)

djmartyc said:


> ah a WW2 nerd hay!came across this website today might interest you http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/roc/index2.shtml



Indeed, it's a site that's well used by many people here, in fact I used to have a link to it on the forum list page


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## djmartyc (Sep 23, 2008)

looking at the site & what my girlfriend was saying last night,it doesn't sound ilke an roc post!she described it as being a big mound(10/15 ft high) in the middle of a field with a hatch at the top that alway's used to be unlocked!but her nan alway's used to warn her never to go near it!i'll go have a little look next time we take the dog there!


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## graybags (Sep 24, 2008)

djmartyc said:


> looking at the site & what my girlfriend was saying last night,it doesn't sound ilke an roc post!she described it as being a big mound(10/15 ft high) in the middle of a field with a hatch at the top that alway's used to be unlocked!but her nan alway's used to warn her never to go near it!i'll go have a little look next time we take the dog there!





Not the Kelvedon Hatch ?
LOL

G


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## djmartyc (Sep 25, 2008)

graybags said:


> Not the Kelvedon Hatch ?
> LOL
> 
> G



LOL nah!i'll try & get there tonight & get some pic's!don't drive myself so i have to depend on my girlfriend bless her!


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## djmartyc (May 18, 2009)

here are a few pic's of the roc post?(that my girlfriend mentioned lol)i haven't got a clue what it is!!please excuse the poor quality,i was using a crap camera phone in poor light!:-{ anyway on with the pic's....
here is the mound in the middle of the(public)field




the path leading up the mound




the hatch my girlfriend spoke of is now covered with concrete




this was strongly secured to the ground(maybe harnessed something once?)




looking down a ventilation shaft?




another ventiation shaft?




the following 3 pic's are about 30/40 ft away & look like foundation's of building.












we found this very close by which may or may not have anything to do with this site












thank's for looking & i hope someone can shed some light on what it is oh & again i'm sorry for the poor quality marty


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## HypoBoy (May 18, 2009)

djmartyc said:


> thank's for looking & i hope someone can shed some light on what it is oh & again i'm sorry for the poor quality marty



The round thing could be the remains of a cantilever/Oakington pillbox, depending on the exact location. If it is, the bunker could be the remains of a battle HQ or similar style command centre - but the vents don't look particularly military, so it could just be something boring like a power substation or some other random bit of service infrastructure.

What area is it in?


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## djmartyc (May 18, 2009)

HypoBoy said:


> The round thing could be the remains of a cantilever/Oakington pillbox, depending on the exact location. If it is, the bunker could be the remains of a battle HQ or similar style command centre - but the vents don't look particularly military, so it could just be something boring like a power substation or some other random bit of service infrastructure.
> 
> What area is it in?


hi mate!it's in tiptree(essex) there was an airfield a few mile's away at birch & the pillbox in the very 1st pic on this post is pretty close by.also there is no building for about 250/350ft of the mound so there could be tunnel's room's underground aswell.have you seen the film the hole?


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## apple g5 (May 18, 2009)

Your last three pics are of a part of a plough called the share point. It is the pointy bit at the front of a plough. They are made to be easily replaceable as they wear down quite quickly, this is the cast "knock-on" type, held in place by a roll pin through the circular hole in it. They are also designed to snap off if they meet an obstruction. Looks like one of the local tractor boys tried to plough up part of your pillbox.


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## HypoBoy (May 18, 2009)

djmartyc said:


> hi mate!it's in tiptree(essex) there was an airfield a few mile's away at birch & the pillbox in the very 1st pic on this post is pretty close by.also there is no building for about 250/350ft of the mound so there could be tunnel's room's underground aswell.have you seen the film the hole?



Nope, not seen the hole.

Can't seem to dig anything up on the site. Gut feeling is that the blocked up bunker thing is probably just a water storage or header tank - particularly if it's on a hill. The other bits are difficult to place though, so I guess it could be something more interesting like a defensive placement. Be interesting to see some clearer picture of it all!


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## djmartyc (May 19, 2009)

HypoBoy said:


> Nope, not seen the hole.
> 
> Can't seem to dig anything up on the site. Gut feeling is that the blocked up bunker thing is probably just a water storage or header tank - particularly if it's on a hill. The other bits are difficult to place though, so I guess it could be something more interesting like a defensive placement. Be interesting to see some clearer picture of it all!



my girlfriend's nan live's near here & used to warn her grandchildren not to go near it.but kid's being kid's my girlfriend & her cousin's went & had a look & there was a ladder going down.it's not on a hill it's on a mound in the middle of a field.the film the hole is set in an underground bunker & the etrance look's similer to this.how do i add a flash earth or google earth link?


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## smiffy (May 19, 2009)

djmartyc said:


> my girlfriend's nan live's near here & used to warn her grandchildren not to go near it.but kid's being kid's my girlfriend & her cousin's went & had a look & there was a ladder going down.it's not on a hill it's on a mound in the middle of a field.the film the hole is set in an underground bunker & the etrance look's similer to this.how do i add a flash earth or google earth link?



Bunker my arse....heh heh heh! its a aseptic tank...........that why her Nan warned her to stay away cos her nice little girly dress would get covered in shite.heheheheheh


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## tigger2 (May 19, 2009)

The bunker doesn't look like a typical WW2 or cold war design. Are there any other buildings nearby?

I've not checked the Subbrit site but a quick look at my map with cold war artifacts for that area marked on it shows the following ROC posts near Tiptree (discounting Kelvedon!):

Wickham Bishop
Tolleshunt D'Arcy
Lexden
Hatfield Peverel

Nothing jumps out from the DoB data either


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## djmartyc (May 19, 2009)

tigger2 said:


> The bunker doesn't look like a typical WW2 or cold war design. Are there any other buildings nearby?
> 
> I've not checked the Subbrit site but a quick look at my map with cold war artifacts for that area marked on it shows the following ROC posts near Tiptree (discounting Kelvedon!):
> 
> ...



there is what look's like foundation's of 2 small building's









how do i add a flash earth or google earth link so you can see exactlly where it is?


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## tigger2 (May 19, 2009)

djmartyc said:


> there is what look's like foundation's of 2 small building's
> 
> how do i add a flash earth or google earth link so you can see exactlly where it is?



Those photos don't really help unfortunately.

Just looked on google maps .....there is a hyperlink at the top right of the map/photo that says 'link' - click on that and follow the instructions.
Can't remember about Flash Earth as I just input the lat/long directly if I use it


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## djmartyc (May 19, 2009)

tigger2 said:


> Those photos don't really help unfortunately.
> 
> Just looked on google maps .....there is a hyperlink at the top right of the map/photo that says 'link' - click on that and follow the instructions.
> Can't remember about Flash Earth as I just input the lat/long directly if I use it


sorry for the bad pic's they were taken on a really crap camera phone lol
here a google map's link hope it help's!marty
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&s...51.811457,0.737506&spn=0.001419,0.004807&z=18


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## tigger2 (May 19, 2009)

OSGB 1K25 map shows several reservoirs, a well and a waterworks very close to there...without more info I'm thinking that it's more likely something to do with water than defence.

(but I know more about mapping than defence!)


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## djmartyc (May 19, 2009)

tigger2 said:


> OSGB 1K25 map shows several reservoirs, a well and a waterworks very close to there...without more info I'm thinking that it's more likely something to do with water than defence.
> 
> (but I know more about mapping than defence!)


ah thank's for all your info!the reservoir's/lake's that are close by are fishing lake's & a sand pit.


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## HypoBoy (May 19, 2009)

In FlashEarth, click the spot you want to highlight, click "Permanent Link" in the left hand menu, then copy the address from your browser.


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## HypoBoy (May 19, 2009)

Judging by the proximity to the pits, I'd suspect it may be something to do with water extraction/management. We've got loads of gravel/sand pits round here and they have pumping stations beside them to move water from the current works to one of the older pits, to keep the place dry whilst they're working on it. Could be an ex.pumping station/header tank positioned slightly uphill so the water gravity runs off to another location. 

Could alternatively be that the site was a former pit that's been used for landfill and the site is/was some form of pressure relief for the decomposition gasses.


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