As part of a day fishing, I headed towards Bridlington and Flamborough Head. Reighton Sands is only down the road so this is where I end up.
History
Reighton Sands lies below a caravan park of the same name. It is on the North East Coastline in the county of Yorkshire. Access to this beach is from the caravan park, but visitors are free to use the cliff top car parks and walk down to the beach, without being guests at the park. During the season, a day pass may be available from the park to use their facilities as well.
A military defensive position in WWII, the sands have remains of hastily prepared invasion defences. A Radar Station, gun emplacements, tank traps and pillboxes, amongst others, including mine fields which helped to form the basis of Britain's defensive lines. 3 types of pill box can be found, the Ruck machine gun post, the Eared pill box and the Lozenge pill box. The Eared pill boxes are in poor shape, as is the only surviving Ruck machine gun post. The Lozenge type pill boxes are in much better condition. Most are filled with water, from a few inches to a few feet. These boxes are still on the cliff top, at least 3 of the 8 Lozenge boxes are right on the cliffs edge and are under treat of tumbling to the beach like the Eared style boxes. Along the beach are remains of tank traps and the Eared style pill boxes. They are all jumbled up from erosion and the action of the sea. It is unclear how these were deployed. The train tracks can be seen which used to run along the cliff before falling to the beach below because of erosion of the cliffs from the sea.
Occasionally pieces of aluminium, can be found on the beach, relating to aircraft lost in Filey Bay during WWII. An oxygen cylinder from a German Luftwaffe aircraft was found, dated to 1939. Probably from a Junkers JU88 as a number were shot down in the sea on 15th August 1940, whilst trying to bomb RAF Driffield. Two JU88`s also crashed at Speeton in July 1941. Shipwreaks can be found at low tide along the coast, including a submarine the "G3".
Photos
Ruck style machine gun post
Eared pill box half buried in the sand and mud
Lozenge style pill box
More pictures at http://www.neolithicsea.co.uk/reightonsands.html
History
Reighton Sands lies below a caravan park of the same name. It is on the North East Coastline in the county of Yorkshire. Access to this beach is from the caravan park, but visitors are free to use the cliff top car parks and walk down to the beach, without being guests at the park. During the season, a day pass may be available from the park to use their facilities as well.
A military defensive position in WWII, the sands have remains of hastily prepared invasion defences. A Radar Station, gun emplacements, tank traps and pillboxes, amongst others, including mine fields which helped to form the basis of Britain's defensive lines. 3 types of pill box can be found, the Ruck machine gun post, the Eared pill box and the Lozenge pill box. The Eared pill boxes are in poor shape, as is the only surviving Ruck machine gun post. The Lozenge type pill boxes are in much better condition. Most are filled with water, from a few inches to a few feet. These boxes are still on the cliff top, at least 3 of the 8 Lozenge boxes are right on the cliffs edge and are under treat of tumbling to the beach like the Eared style boxes. Along the beach are remains of tank traps and the Eared style pill boxes. They are all jumbled up from erosion and the action of the sea. It is unclear how these were deployed. The train tracks can be seen which used to run along the cliff before falling to the beach below because of erosion of the cliffs from the sea.
Occasionally pieces of aluminium, can be found on the beach, relating to aircraft lost in Filey Bay during WWII. An oxygen cylinder from a German Luftwaffe aircraft was found, dated to 1939. Probably from a Junkers JU88 as a number were shot down in the sea on 15th August 1940, whilst trying to bomb RAF Driffield. Two JU88`s also crashed at Speeton in July 1941. Shipwreaks can be found at low tide along the coast, including a submarine the "G3".
Photos
Ruck style machine gun post
Eared pill box half buried in the sand and mud
Lozenge style pill box
More pictures at http://www.neolithicsea.co.uk/reightonsands.html
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