Pillbox, New Hartley - May 2008

BigLoada · May 26, 2008

Sausage showed me this a while back, its hidden deep within a stand of trees and is invisible from the main road.

I would be interested to know what type it is. It seems to be of pre-cast construction and is complete with the old wooden toilet seat.

There is a brick building right next to it but that is empty.

This is the brick building next to it

Thanks

krela · May 26, 2008

That's not a pillbox by the look of it, it's a hardened defensive position, which were usually kinda made up on the spot to suit a purpose.

Looks good though, not seen a defensive position with a latrine before!

BigLoada · May 26, 2008

krela said:
That's not a pillbox by the look of it, it's a hardened defensive position, which were usually kinda made up on the spot to suit a purpose.

Looks good though, not seen a defensive position with a latrine before!

Cheers Krela, I hope it is in the right forum then! Yes I thought the toilet was an interesting find too. Thanks for the info yet again

krela · May 26, 2008

Have you got a flashearth location for it? Might be able to make more sense of it if I can see where it lies in relation to other things

Sabtr · May 26, 2008

The woods it is situated in are called "Taylors Woods". It looks to me as if some of the construction is a later addition.
I have to agree with Krela on the defensive position too. It is very near (but very well hidden!) to a major route from/to the Blyth beach area. Should the enemy have landed on that beach they would have used the nearby road to advance inland.
I have a question! Are defensive positions different to pillboxes? If so, is it because they were more of a "lookout" station?
I was born and brought up very near to this site and it has always been an unknown.

BigLoada · May 26, 2008

krela said:
Have you got a flashearth location for it? Might be able to make more sense of it if I can see where it lies in relation to other things

Heres a flash earth link mate:

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=55.082973&lon=-1.501102&z=16.6&r=0&src=ggl

Don't know if it is relevant but the Gloucester HAA battery we photographed is just a mile or two up the road here:

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=55.099876&lon=-1.499393&z=18.7&r=0&src=ggl

Thanks for the info, its always appreciated as I don't know a lot about military stuff!!

Sabtr · May 26, 2008

Crikey mate I've never looked at the Gloucester Battery in flash before. It looks mint from the air! All the roads are showing and I'm sure if we study the layout more we will understand the site better.

krela · May 26, 2008

Sausage said:
The woods it is situated in are called "Taylors Woods". It looks to me as if some of the construction is a later addition.
I have to agree with Krela on the defensive position too. It is very near (but very well hidden!) to a major route from/to the Blyth beach area. Should the enemy have landed on that beach they would have used the nearby road to advance inland.
I have a question! Are defensive positions different to pillboxes? If so, is it because they were more of a "lookout" station?
I was born and brought up very near to this site and it has always been an unknown.

What's the difference between a pillbox and a defended position? Not a lot really. Pillboxes are built to standard war office plans, defended positions aren't. They serve exactly the same function though. I'm sure other people would define it differently but that's the way I make the distinction.

From the Flashearth link it seems like it was placed to defend against attackers coming inland from the coast along the road. I would suggest there would have been a roadblock placed on the road in front of it.

Now that you've given me a flashearth link for the HAA I can make more of it, I'll reply in that thread tomorrow though

the|td4 · Jun 19, 2008

I stumbled across that one early last year on a hunt for the fabled deleval hall tunnels, a mate of mine swore blind that there were tunnels in the area of woods that that building is in. We walked the entire woods but found nothing but that. Interesting though !

BigLoada · Jun 19, 2008

the|td4 said:
I stumbled across that one early last year on a hunt for the fabled deleval hall tunnels, a mate of mine swore blind that there were tunnels in the area of woods that that building is in. We walked the entire woods but found nothing but that. Interesting though !

Hello mate, aye you told me about this pillbox. The Delaval Hall tunnels would be a good find, if they exist. Apparently Lord Hastings is selling the hall.

Sabtr · Jun 20, 2008

I read somewhere he is in negotiations with The National trust/English Heritage. That was months ago.

BigLoada · Jun 20, 2008

Sausage said:
I read somewhere he is in negotiations with The National trust/English Heritage. That was months ago.

Hope it goes ahead. The hall is in a terrible state, there are dandelions growing in the cellar etc.A shame as it is such a fine building.

Elvis killer · Jul 5, 2008

There are remnants of trenches in front of that structure, theres also a loopholed wall next to the entrance to the mausolem track it hold quite a commanding vantage point over the Avenue. When you think about the other structures there are, spigot mortar mounts in the dunes, an inland facing bunker built into the dunes facing up the mouth of the river, anti tank blocks on the beach, the structure in this thread complete with trenches and the loopholed wall,both are in a pretty commanding position over looking the main road inland. Maybe it could be a stopline, they are all within an area that seem to be able to channel potential invaders progress.I'll try and post a flash earth link with locations of these later.... Sorry not meaing to hijack this thread

BigLoada · Jul 6, 2008

Elvis killer said:
There are remnants of trenches in front of that structure, theres also a loopholed wall next to the entrance to the mausolem track it hold quite a commanding vantage point over the Avenue. When you think about the other structures there are, spigot mortar mounts in the dunes, an inland facing bunker built into the dunes facing up the mouth of the river, anti tank blocks on the beach, the structure in this thread complete with trenches and the loopholed wall,both are in a pretty commanding position over looking the main road inland. Maybe it could be a stopline, they are all within an area that seem to be able to channel potential invaders progress.I'll try and post a flash earth link with locations of these later.... Sorry not meaing to hijack this thread

Feel free to hijack mate

I didn't realise, until you listed them, how much there was in the way of defence in that area. Regarding the pillbox buried in the dunes at Seaton Sluice, next to the bridge, there is something unnaturl about those dunes. I would bet there is some more buried there which we don't know about.

Elvis killer · Jul 6, 2008

BigLoada said:
Feel free to hijack mate I didn't realise, until you listed them, how much there was in the way of defence in that area. Regarding the pillbox buried in the dunes at Seaton Sluice, next to the bridge, there is something unnaturl about those dunes. I would bet there is some more buried there which we don't know about.

Just where is the entrance to that bunker in the dunes. Its deffo an un-natural layout.

Wile-E · Jul 7, 2008

BigLoada said:
Feel free to hijack mate I didn't realise, until you listed them, how much there was in the way of defence in that area. Regarding the pillbox buried in the dunes at Seaton Sluice, next to the bridge, there is something unnaturl about those dunes. I would bet there is some more buried there which we don't know about.

I seem to recall that at the bottom of that dune, facing the sea there was, for a while, some brickwork exposed, possibly an old promenade?

stesh · Jul 7, 2008

BigLoada said:
Regarding the pillbox buried in the dunes at Seaton Sluice, next to the bridge, there is something unnaturl about those dunes. I would bet there is some more buried there which we don't know about.

Their not natural, I always none them as the "ballast hills" due to them supposely being made from the dumped ballast from ships (in the days of the bottle works).

Elvis killer said:
Just where is the entrance to that bunker in the dunes. Its deffo an un-natural layout.

The entrance to the bunker that over looks the habour is at the back on the top behind the windows so to speak? The entrance was and inside was nearly full from drifting sand twenty years ago, so I gather it's totally filled in now?

Wile-E said:
I seem to recall that at the bottom of that dune, facing the sea there was, for a while, some brickwork exposed, possibly an old promenade?

I remember that promenade appearing out of the sand over night after a big storm

stesh · Jul 18, 2008

Was driving past there yesterday so here's some photo's:-

Front

Entrance and back if you do some digging

The other Pillbox next to it, totally bricked up.

Entrance

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