# Norfolk pillboxes (pic heavy)



## Mikeymutt (Jun 25, 2014)

I know pillboxes ain't interesting to everyone..but I personally love these little lumps of concrete..I have been driving around lately photographing these,and even now only covered a small selection of them.they are his up everywhere,in towns,villages,airfields,the coast,anywhere there could have been a threat of invasion.normally on strategic points like railways,rivers and canals.they usually formed a defence line,with tank blocks,trenches,road blocks etc..first used mainly during the First World War.when England realised that there was a severe threat of invasion.with the outbreak of the Second World War pillbox were rapidly constructed with the threat of invasion a scary reality..there was several different types,from the average type twenty two to large machine gun emplacements.local material was sourced to build them so although standard they varied with materials from around the country..twenty eight thousand were built during the war,today about six to seven thousand survive..often walked past by people nowadays.forgetting the important roll these played in the defence of this country..on with the pics.sorry if it's a bit long.i have left out a lot of the internal shots,or this would have gone on forever.

Pillbox on a Norwich housing estate,the officers quarters for raf horsham st faiths..all sealed up now.




Type 22 at buxton heath.




Type 22 near raf little snoring.prob an outer defence for the airfield.




Near to Dereham station.there is another further down the track.




This one is near to raf trinningham on the norfolk coast..raf trinningham is still an active radar base




Pair of World War One pillboxes near the north walsham canal.there are several of these dotted along the canal.







A very rare pillbox in norfolk.set behind an old mill in aylsham,this was used to defend the mill for the ministry of agriculture,constructed of concrete in flour sacks.the sacks have rotted leaving just the concrete showing now.







Type 28 at happisburgh on the norfolk coast,prob guarding the path to the costal defence bunker and radar station.




Another pillbox at happisburgh.right next to the costal defence gun battery.





Unusual shaped pillbox at bodney.




Ongar hill gun battery..this was built to defend the wash from the Germans invading there.consisting of two pillboxes,a gun battery and watch tower.










World War One pillbox on the A47 near Great Yarmouth,later reused in ww2.




Another one on the A47 similar to the other one.still has it's original doors.







Pillbox at ellingham guarding the old railway bridge.this line was used to transport munitions.










Pillbox at haddiscoe on the marina,this is a ww1 box with an office built on to disguise it,don't know if the office was put on in later years.




Another type 22 near a river bridge,there was also eight concrete road blocks there as well.










Pillbox near raf swannington.







Type22 at aylsham,near the railway station.there is another one down the road near the hedgerow and is so overgrown you can't see it.unusual to see two surviving urban pillboxes so close.







Pillbox near raf oulton.this was so covered from the road that it was only because of a call of nature that I found it.




Twin vickers near southwold in Suffolk.










This one was just outside of raf coltishall.part of the old radar station there.there is two here,but one again is covered completely.




Type 22 at Bungay in Suffolk on the old railway line.







Pillbox at raf watton,near to the old bomb stores.







A more modern variant of the pillbox at raf neatishead







This one is at a junction at raf foulsham.







Three more pillboxes from around the fakenham area


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## tumble112 (Jun 25, 2014)

I find the pillbox at the mill which had used concrete in sacks strangely fascinating. Also the shot with he poppy in the foreground is a rather nice touch. Finally, one of the reasons we were on the winning side in the war is because we had air bases with names like RAF Little Snoring.  Thanks for posting.


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## Whiteknight841 (Jun 25, 2014)

Liking the one on the hill near a47 Great Yarmouth, the brilliant sky in the background really sets the photo off!


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## DirtyJigsaw (Jun 26, 2014)

I must say i enjoyed looking at these pics. Nicely done and thanks for sharing


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## night crawler (Jun 26, 2014)

Excilent seres of photo you took thoughthe two round ones look like Molems. Good to see some one else has an interst in them


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## Paulytwotanks (Jun 26, 2014)

I can't resist going inside pillboxes when I come accross them - even though it's nearly always the same in each one. There are 2 either side of the road at Ebridge mill, I think you may have these photographed here? If not, worth taking a look as one of them still has rusting gun hole shutters in place inside.


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## Mikeymutt (Jun 26, 2014)

Paulytwotanks said:


> I can't resist going inside pillboxes when I come accross them - even though it's nearly always the same in each one. There are 2 either side of the road at Ebridge mill, I think you may have these photographed here? If not, worth taking a look as one of them still has rusting gun hole shutters in place inside.



yes they are these two but never went in these..will go back and have a look though.


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## flyboys90 (Jun 26, 2014)

Ace collection of some unusual PB and you covered some miles.Thanks for sharing.


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## Safe Breaker (Jun 27, 2014)

Awesome collection.....


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## mockingbird (Jun 27, 2014)

Maybe lumps of concrete to some, but its rather a good collection you have here scattered around, really nice


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## Richard Davies (Jun 27, 2014)

A nice collection, Wells-Next-The-See has some dotted arond the area.


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## ginger5092 (Jun 28, 2014)

Excellent pictures, well done and thank you


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## chazman (Jul 8, 2014)

theres one in wymondham,near the abbey,opp bradmans lane. i once found a porno mag in it when i was a kid. happy days. good pics,well done.


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## Stealthstar79 (Jul 8, 2014)

some lovely shots there, love the poppy one!


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## Onmyown (Jul 8, 2014)

I'm not a fan of this type of thing but these have certainly tickled my fancy, thanks for sharing. I'm fairly curious now and I'm sure there's one or two close by for me to explore..


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## Paulytwotanks (Jul 9, 2014)

Mikeymutt said:


> yes they are these two but never went in these..will go back and have a look though.



As I recall, with the mill on your left as you walk along the road, it is the one in the field to your right.


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## just looking (Jul 9, 2014)

Great set of images, you have done them justice and have to agree the shots with the poppies/poppy is rather poignant, thanks for sharing


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## HughieD (Sep 9, 2014)

Excellent and comprehensive pillbox work there sir!


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