This was a mad two day visit into an area of England which had such a high concentration of Lincolnshire 3 Bay Pillboxes. This is an area specific pillbox which simply does not exist in the south of England and so was of great interest to me. I was also looking forward to the first viewing of a Coastal Battery, again something i had yet to see at first hand.
Initially was to meet up with a couple of other pillbox researches and i finally succeeded later in the day when they both bumped into me on a line of Pillboxes just South of Butterwick. We had arranged to meet in a car park but i was on the wrong side of it and missed them both.
I made the trip up the previous night and slept in the car and got up when dawn broke. I remember the sound of a woman screaming abuse at her boyfriend as i attempted to get some shut eye. The next day was going to be very long indeed with so much walking involved and so much to catch. I aimed to pretty much cover most of the Northern section of The Wash and cover the southern section the next day. All in all - one the first day i managed to cover 26 locations, thankfully accepting a lift for the remainder of the day when i bumped into my mate Rich.
At the end of a fantastic day, i was dropped back to my car thoroughly knackered and slept there for the night before resuming the search on the Southern tip of The Scalp and further South into the area North of Holbeach.
The two days were thoroughly enjoyable with scorching weather, great company in the latter part of the first day, and some new and interesting pillboxes and locations to document.
I was that tired when driving home after the second day. An accident on the A16 meant another night spent in a lay-by on the hard shoulder due to a serious accident ahead. Traffic had ground to a halt for a lengthy period of time and i was nodding off. It was a wise move in the end but not something i had planned to do. Thankfully i can sleep anywhere and had a decent sleep despite the car being buffeted by the lorries as they went past.
Parking up in Scalp Road at the car-park overlooking The Haven i stepped out on the hunt for the pillboxes. Guided faithfully by a Landranger Map i could get lost with confidence!
North Sea Camp Open Prison
North Sea Camp opened as a Borstal in 1935, having been established by a group of Borstal Trainees who had been marched cross-country from Stafford. They set up a campsite, and immediately began work building a sea wall to protect the site from the North Sea. Once this was complete, they began reclaiming land by building a further sea wall – that land then became the prison farm. What runs along the concrete access road that leads to the prison is the tracking for the small pulleys used to haul the earth when the reclamation of the land was undertaken.
Initially was to meet up with a couple of other pillbox researches and i finally succeeded later in the day when they both bumped into me on a line of Pillboxes just South of Butterwick. We had arranged to meet in a car park but i was on the wrong side of it and missed them both.
I made the trip up the previous night and slept in the car and got up when dawn broke. I remember the sound of a woman screaming abuse at her boyfriend as i attempted to get some shut eye. The next day was going to be very long indeed with so much walking involved and so much to catch. I aimed to pretty much cover most of the Northern section of The Wash and cover the southern section the next day. All in all - one the first day i managed to cover 26 locations, thankfully accepting a lift for the remainder of the day when i bumped into my mate Rich.
At the end of a fantastic day, i was dropped back to my car thoroughly knackered and slept there for the night before resuming the search on the Southern tip of The Scalp and further South into the area North of Holbeach.
The two days were thoroughly enjoyable with scorching weather, great company in the latter part of the first day, and some new and interesting pillboxes and locations to document.
I was that tired when driving home after the second day. An accident on the A16 meant another night spent in a lay-by on the hard shoulder due to a serious accident ahead. Traffic had ground to a halt for a lengthy period of time and i was nodding off. It was a wise move in the end but not something i had planned to do. Thankfully i can sleep anywhere and had a decent sleep despite the car being buffeted by the lorries as they went past.
Parking up in Scalp Road at the car-park overlooking The Haven i stepped out on the hunt for the pillboxes. Guided faithfully by a Landranger Map i could get lost with confidence!
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/22): S0005182
Located near the Pilgrims' Memorial which was a failed attempt to get across the Atlantic.PILLBOX: S0005183 INFANTRY BLOCKHOUSE
Infantry blockhouse, with eight embrasures.ANTI TANK GUN EMPLACEMENT: S0005184
Gun housing for a 6 pounder gun. Now glassed-in and converted to a summer house.
Out to the very mouth of an area just South of North Sea Camp (HM Prison) three Type 23 pillboxes were missing. Either removed of buried under the banking for the marshes. The small building in the picture below is a bird spotters hut.
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/22): S0002046
On sea bank South of Scrane End. Standard type 22 pillbox, built using wood shuttering, roughly rendered as camouflage. With projecting exterior embrasure sills. Metal pipe set centrally in roof.North Sea Camp opened as a Borstal in 1935, having been established by a group of Borstal Trainees who had been marched cross-country from Stafford. They set up a campsite, and immediately began work building a sea wall to protect the site from the North Sea. Once this was complete, they began reclaiming land by building a further sea wall – that land then became the prison farm. What runs along the concrete access road that leads to the prison is the tracking for the small pulleys used to haul the earth when the reclamation of the land was undertaken.
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/22): S0002045
On sea bank E of Scrane End and S of Freiston Shore. Hexagonal type 22 pillbox dug into sea bank, with projecting exterior embrasure sills. Central iron pipe set in roof, and another near roof edge (this goes right through the roof). Interior access possible. Used as sheep shelter. Standard type 22 pillbox, built using wood shuttering, roughly rendered as camouflage.
Looking across at two more Type 22's across the embankment.
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/22): S0002044
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/22): S0016021
On sea bank East of Scrane End and South of Freiston Shore. Type 22 pillbox, with projecting exterior embrasure sills. Thick interior gun mount ledge. Iron linings to embrasures partly in situ. Some embrasures damaged. Access to interior possible.
Who is watching out for who!
PILLBOX (TYPE FW3/22): S0002042
Hexagonal type 22 pillbox on sea bank facing East. Concrete-faced. Front embrasures have projecting exterior sills. Roof has protruding central iron pipe [a mount?]. Access possible to interior. Standard type 22 pillbox, built using wood shuttering, roughly rendered as camouflage.
COAST ARTILLERY SEARCHLIGHT: S0016244
A CASL of the adjacent coastal battery. Pebble-dashed concrete walls. Used apparently as a fuel store for farmer with projecting pipe. Flight of steps behind and store building. Wooden frames to windows still in situ.
The Store.
PILLBOX (LINCOLNSHIRE 3 BAY): S0002041
Type 23 pillbox, rectangular structure, appears to be two square pillboxes joined together by a raised platform. The whole structure is about 24ft in length and 8ft wide. The walls are approx. 16 - 18in thick. Each of the end chambers has 3 embrasures. Internally below each embrasure is a shelf. The ceiling still retains some of its wood shuttering. Between the two end chambers is an open chamber, the floor level of which has been raised some 2 - 3ft above the ground. In the centre of the open chamber is a concrete post 6in square at the base. The entrance is narrow and set centrally in the wall. Behind this is a concrete stand stopping at the raised platform in front. Standard Lincolnshire 3 bay anti-aircraft pillbox. Built using wood shuttering. Roughly rendered as camouflage. AA pillbox defending the coastal battery - two enclosed bays connected by an open one for the mounting of the AA gun. Two embrasures at the front facing E, two at the rear, and one at each end.
This concludes part 1 of the explore in the area.
Thanks for reading.
