Well i fully prepped and prepared for this 4 days off doing the completely selfish act of plotting the four days off. Friday night prepped the first two days of getting to all the Type 28A pillboxes along the route of Calcot (j12), through Sulham and eventually onto the outskirts of Pangbourne. A truly amazing experience of getting wet, hot, tired, hungry and thirsty.
Well documented on the DoF layer, i finally got semi geeky and took out a torch, and using GE on the iphone i plotted my way in a sometimes erratic manner hunting them out.
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/28 TWIN): S0005732
Somehow the crumbling degeneration is more interesting.
The rain and the wet morning was slightly disheartening from the photgraphic point of view but the morning eventually broke into a glorious mid morning. The rest of the PB's in the area just turned into grey graffiti canvasses and though detailed by myself i will not bore you with the images.
Thankfully the skirting of the fields was abandoned and i eventually cut out onto a bridle path with confident strides. Wet, muddy but happy!!
S0005731
A strange experience this one. It looked semi occupied in the area, either that or some mad mans idea for war games. A tranch had been build to the rear of the PB and was covered in areas which led up to a general build up of rubbish consisting of the usual beer cans.
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24): S0005723
Quite an unexpected find for me considering i was looking for the PB on Nunhide Lane!
And finally i reach the first sight if a type 28 looming like an oasis in the distance. Cutting over 6 foot fencing, through shallow streams, scaring the deer in the woods, over a couple of barbed wire fences, and .......breathe. The curious cows slightly peturbed by a strange man casually walking over to the PB.
S0005719
And out onto the road heading from Sulham to Tidmarsh.
ANTI TANK PIMPLE: S0005716
What i was really after:
ANTI TANK CYLINDER: S0002684
There was a forth cylinder just slightly exposed and sat closer to the fencing and the road behind the other three. A quick hop over the fence, take the photos and get out again.
Heading up to the cluster of type 28's just outside Tidmarsh, i found this sat to the side of the river Pang. Intriguing enough for a closer look. (prepares to be embarrassed!!)
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/28 TWIN): S0005714
Just outside Pangbourne. Type 22 PB S0005709
(TYPE FW3/28A): S0005712
A small detail. The first intact grill i have come across.
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/28 TWIN): S0005713
A fairly routine visit to this type 28 until the considerable damage provided a spark. Having read about the use of PB's as target practice after the war, this certainly shows evidence of shell damage.
The death of a Type 28/twin S0005710
Why waste a perfect photographic opportunity when it arises.
5 octagonal tank traps. Swinley Forest , Crowthourne.
I shall provide the visit to Abbingdon tomorrow. Hopefully not too pic heavy for you all.
Well documented on the DoF layer, i finally got semi geeky and took out a torch, and using GE on the iphone i plotted my way in a sometimes erratic manner hunting them out.
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/28 TWIN): S0005732
Somehow the crumbling degeneration is more interesting.
The rain and the wet morning was slightly disheartening from the photgraphic point of view but the morning eventually broke into a glorious mid morning. The rest of the PB's in the area just turned into grey graffiti canvasses and though detailed by myself i will not bore you with the images.
Thankfully the skirting of the fields was abandoned and i eventually cut out onto a bridle path with confident strides. Wet, muddy but happy!!
S0005731
A strange experience this one. It looked semi occupied in the area, either that or some mad mans idea for war games. A tranch had been build to the rear of the PB and was covered in areas which led up to a general build up of rubbish consisting of the usual beer cans.
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24): S0005723
Quite an unexpected find for me considering i was looking for the PB on Nunhide Lane!
And finally i reach the first sight if a type 28 looming like an oasis in the distance. Cutting over 6 foot fencing, through shallow streams, scaring the deer in the woods, over a couple of barbed wire fences, and .......breathe. The curious cows slightly peturbed by a strange man casually walking over to the PB.
S0005719
And out onto the road heading from Sulham to Tidmarsh.
ANTI TANK PIMPLE: S0005716
What i was really after:
ANTI TANK CYLINDER: S0002684
There was a forth cylinder just slightly exposed and sat closer to the fencing and the road behind the other three. A quick hop over the fence, take the photos and get out again.
Heading up to the cluster of type 28's just outside Tidmarsh, i found this sat to the side of the river Pang. Intriguing enough for a closer look. (prepares to be embarrassed!!)
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/28 TWIN): S0005714
Just outside Pangbourne. Type 22 PB S0005709
(TYPE FW3/28A): S0005712
A small detail. The first intact grill i have come across.
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/28 TWIN): S0005713
A fairly routine visit to this type 28 until the considerable damage provided a spark. Having read about the use of PB's as target practice after the war, this certainly shows evidence of shell damage.
The death of a Type 28/twin S0005710
Why waste a perfect photographic opportunity when it arises.
5 octagonal tank traps. Swinley Forest , Crowthourne.
I shall provide the visit to Abbingdon tomorrow. Hopefully not too pic heavy for you all.
Been to some but not all of these. I am wondering how the pillboxes in Swinley Forest/Bagshot Heath linked up. Possibly via Wokingham, Markham etc?
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