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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
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