The main prize for me and the aim of getting out onto the Basingstoke canal and missing out a stretch of the GHQ line located near Odiham was too much for me. This area will have to wait for now. A clear dry day and a tempting cycle ride out was enough for me in an area already plotted and prepped up. The abundance and variety of defences was just too tempting so i made the decision to get out there. Parking up near the Barley Mow pub north of Dogmersfield it was only a short hop out onto the canal and the feast of goodies out there.
Firstly though:
ANTI TANK CYLINDER: S0011210
Three cylinders sat in the treeline next to the path leading to the canal tow path. Two sat either side of the entrance to the path and the other slightly back from the road.
PILLBOX (VARIANT): S0011211
Cycling through the wooded area and turning right onto the Basingstoke Canal path it's a short walk to the pillbox on the left hand side of the canal. Fairly innocuous until you step down the side and to the entrance.
At the rear of the back and walking down the left hand side is the entrance porch which leads to a set of steps inside.
Cammo hooks.
ANTI TANK CYLINDER: S0008912
Just wow. Clustered on both the North West and South west of the bridge. (six on the south west and 56 on the North West). The line stretches across towards Tundry Pond in what is a pretty extensive defensive line. At the end of this line which stretches to the edge of the pond it is then met by a type 24 which defends the eastern approaches to the canal.
North West side of the canal.
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24): S0008625
Sat on the opposite side of the pond and set back from the canal bank. This pillbox is in a fairly remote setting and therefore relatively unscathed from and vandalism.
Heavy damage where the outer drainage pipe has fallen away.
Note the small pipe that is seen in the photo below. This was used to place wire through and this is more evident on a huge cluster of AT Cylinders further down the canal on this side of the bank.
All in all 1.5 miles of evidence on the tow path. Either sat centrally or almost on the bank edge these bases would originally have had posts mounted into them to add further difficulty to any opposing force either crossing the canal successfully or pose additional restrictive movement to anyone having crossed. It was a shame i could not see the posts in situ but apparently they do exist!
ANTI TANK CYLINDER: S0011213
Listed as 12 AT teeth there are actually 5 one the North and one block and 6 on the south. I got to both sides after a deal of slipping and sliding.
Northern side.
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24): S0011215
It's there somewhere. This one is going to be a solo visit in the near future primarily to get a closer detailed check done. Listed as having original barbed wire which is enticing. It was at this point a rambler walked past keenly eyeing up what i was photographing. The excitement killed him as it is not the best of views.
A tiny hint of brickwork.
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24): S0008619
The ongoing trail .....
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24): S0011214
Sat low on an increasingly steep and slippery incline in the bank.
Evidence of an old bridge that has long since been removed. 4 cylinders which presumably would have say on the sides of or actually on the bridge banks.
ANTI TANK CYLINDER: S0016752
The Dob states only 2 one one side of the bank so a minor correction is needed.
A socket which would have sat under the bridge.
ANTI TANK CYLINDER: S0016695
It states there are 750 cylinders in this line which runs to the edge of Coxmore Farm but this needs detailing correctly. I would love there to be that amount but i think a realistic 180 as also detailed is more accurate. Note the steel Hawser cables in situ and again a first for me.
ANTI TANK PIMPLE: S0010812
Crossing over the bridge and out into the field of Hancocks Farm. There are two Vickers MG Emplacements and a Type 22 variant. Very much permission visits to all the Pillboxes on the farmland.
VICKERS MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENT: (S0011218) S0007414
Sat high up on the hill overlooking the approach to the canal, the main Vickers embrasure is North facing.
PILLBOX (VARIANT): S0007415
Sat further westwards in the same field.
Square AR wall.
VICKERS MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENT: S0007413
Sat further north and the main embrasure facing north. Vickers Machine Gun Posts were mainly built in pairs. Heavily overgrown and the blast wall and entrance are blocked up.
Finally back for one i missed. Sat to the south of the old removed bridge and the 4 teeth.
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24): S0010816
As always - thanks for reading this report.
Firstly though:
ANTI TANK CYLINDER: S0011210
Three cylinders sat in the treeline next to the path leading to the canal tow path. Two sat either side of the entrance to the path and the other slightly back from the road.
PILLBOX (VARIANT): S0011211
Cycling through the wooded area and turning right onto the Basingstoke Canal path it's a short walk to the pillbox on the left hand side of the canal. Fairly innocuous until you step down the side and to the entrance.
The embrasure on the bank side of the tow path is set low. There is a steep bank which drops off behind the pillbox and to overcome this the build of this pillbox is fascinating. Not to be overcome with the engineering difficulties of the steep bank, the contractors simply built a deeper access to the pillbox.
At the rear of the back and walking down the left hand side is the entrance porch which leads to a set of steps inside.
A view looking down the steps at the split level gun embrasure which covers the rear approach to the pillbox.
Original roof cladding still in place and in great condition.
The right hand side of the retaining wall for the porch entrance.
Blacksmiths Bridge. 8 extent socket mines. East side of the canal bridge.
Just wow. Clustered on both the North West and South west of the bridge. (six on the south west and 56 on the North West). The line stretches across towards Tundry Pond in what is a pretty extensive defensive line. At the end of this line which stretches to the edge of the pond it is then met by a type 24 which defends the eastern approaches to the canal.
North West side of the canal.
Following the line of the bank and running North West. The cylinders were simply massive drain sections set onto a plinth and back-filled.
The end of the run which connects with the natural barrier of the pond.
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24): S0008625
Sat on the opposite side of the pond and set back from the canal bank. This pillbox is in a fairly remote setting and therefore relatively unscathed from and vandalism.
Blackout shutter made of iron. Only one in situ. My first one.
Back out to Blacksmiths bridge and the cluster of 6 cylinders sat on the opposite side of the bridge approach.South West side of the bank.
Heavy damage where the outer drainage pipe has fallen away.
Note the small pipe that is seen in the photo below. This was used to place wire through and this is more evident on a huge cluster of AT Cylinders further down the canal on this side of the bank.
ANTI TANK OBSTACLE: S0012862
All in all 1.5 miles of evidence on the tow path. Either sat centrally or almost on the bank edge these bases would originally have had posts mounted into them to add further difficulty to any opposing force either crossing the canal successfully or pose additional restrictive movement to anyone having crossed. It was a shame i could not see the posts in situ but apparently they do exist!
ANTI TANK CYLINDER: S0011213
Listed as 12 AT teeth there are actually 5 one the North and one block and 6 on the south. I got to both sides after a deal of slipping and sliding.
Northern side.
Tilting lazily over and just about holding in despite possible bank erosion.
Crossing the bridge - sandbags
Getting over the bridge and over to the North Western cluster of AT defences.
The southern section. Getting to there was a massive challenge involving a steep bank, barbed wire, a few snags and a few choice swearwords.
More evidence of the rails sat on the opposite tow-path.
It's there somewhere. This one is going to be a solo visit in the near future primarily to get a closer detailed check done. Listed as having original barbed wire which is enticing. It was at this point a rambler walked past keenly eyeing up what i was photographing. The excitement killed him as it is not the best of views.
A tiny hint of brickwork.
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24): S0008619
Interesting brace work which seems to be a local feature.
A local resident.
The ongoing trail .....
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24): S0011214
Sat low on an increasingly steep and slippery incline in the bank.
Cammo hook and trench entrance. The trench has long since collapsed.
ANTI TANK CYLINDER: S0016752
The Dob states only 2 one one side of the bank so a minor correction is needed.
A view from the south to the north bank of the canal. The cylinders would have sat ether side of the bridge.
A socket which would have sat under the bridge.
ANTI TANK CYLINDER: S0016695
It states there are 750 cylinders in this line which runs to the edge of Coxmore Farm but this needs detailing correctly. I would love there to be that amount but i think a realistic 180 as also detailed is more accurate. Note the steel Hawser cables in situ and again a first for me.
VICKERS MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENT: S0008618
TheVickers machine gun pillbox is essentially square in plan with the forward facing corners chamfered. The walls are 14 feet (4.3 m) long and there is generally a freestanding blast wall covering the entrance on either the left or right side. The walls were constructed to shellproof standard of 36 inches (91 cm). There are no internal walls. There is a large embrasure and inside is a concrete, trapezoidal table on which to mount the weapon's tripod. The other walls would each have an embrasure suitable for a rifle or light machine gun.
They are frequently sited in pairs and were often dug-in with overhead earth cover.
Vickers MMG emplacements of this exact type are uncommon; just over 75 are recorded as extant but there are many local variants of this basic type.
Rail sockets sat in the path leading to the canal bridge.
ANTI TANK PIMPLE: S0016751
Sat opposite and diagonally off towards Chequers Bridge.Crossing over the bridge and out into the field of Hancocks Farm. There are two Vickers MG Emplacements and a Type 22 variant. Very much permission visits to all the Pillboxes on the farmland.
VICKERS MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENT: (S0011218) S0007414
Sat high up on the hill overlooking the approach to the canal, the main Vickers embrasure is North facing.
Roof cladding falling away.
Sat further westwards in the same field.
Square AR wall.
Sat further north and the main embrasure facing north. Vickers Machine Gun Posts were mainly built in pairs. Heavily overgrown and the blast wall and entrance are blocked up.
Sadly very overgrown view of the main gun embrasure.
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/24): S0010816
As always - thanks for reading this report.
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