The legacies left behind following any conflict can be far reaching. While we may not have been on the conventional frontline, events in ‘our wee country’ have had considerable impact. This site aims to be more than a pillbox fan site, or an URBEX photo album; I hope to reveal the rich variety of defensive structures and sites that sit on the north of this island, from Martello towers built to repel a Napoleonic invasion in the early 19th Century to the huge temporary camps set up to prepare soldiers to fight on the frontline in Europe in 1914. More recently, and in living memory are the defensive and technical sites contributing to the defeat of Fascism in the mid 20th Century and the rapid development of often improvised protective structures in support of the fight against Irish terrorism.
I will try to present material in as impartial and accurate a way as possible, in particular for those areas which may still be sensitive, but my aim is to focus on the physical and not deal with the complex personal stories surrounding these sites. Please enjoy this site and I hope you will share and come back to keep updated as it matures.
Recent Posts
Mobile Screens
In order to separate crowds of protesters and offer some protection to security forces and members of the opposite community, a series of mobile sight screens were introduced; constructed out…
Armoured Fish and Chip Van
On 8 April 1971, a high priority order was received for three vehicles to be fitted out for use as fish and ship vans in Northern Ireland. After some deliberation,…
Derryard aftermath; the introduction of the rifle grenade into Northern Ireland
The introduction of the AP rifle launched grenade came after the lethal IRA ambush at Derryard just after 1600 hrs on 13 December 1989. This prompted an Urgent Operational Requirement…
Protecting Northern Ireland’s Infrastructure
With any conflict comes a risk to national infrastructure by terrorist organisations as a means to exert power and create panic and unrest among the population in the name of…
Visit Report – Grey Point Fort
Grey Point Fort sits on the southern side of Belfast Lough, the first of two coastal artillery forts (the sister fort being the now demolished Kilroot Battery on the northern…
Visit Report – Fort Luton
Constructed as one of five forts surrounding the historic Naval dockyard of Chatham, construction of Fort Luton commenced in 1876. But as the end of the 19th century saw advances…
Parachute Mine Defused in London, October 1969
Having conducted some research in the Royal Engineer Bomb Disposal (BD) archives at Carver Barracks, I came across a fascinating report covering the neutralising of a WW2 German Type GC…
Lower Medway Pillboxes
Selecting a marker will bring up a link with the name and OSGB Grid Reference of the location; click on the link and you will be taken to an image/s…
Ide Hill Ammunition Park
As the war in Europe intensified and the struggle for the protection of Britain grew, so did the need for the storage of more and more ammunition. Storage predictions proved…
The Development of Internal Security Equipment for Northern Ireland (1972)
In 1972 Brigadier Sir Ian Jardine had the task of writing a history of the Northern Ireland emergency including an annex on equipment development. The document below is the content…
Mobile Screens
In order to separate crowds of protesters and offer some protection to security forces and members of the opposite community, a series of mobile sight screens were introduced; constructed out…
Armoured Fish and Chip Van
On 8 April 1971, a high priority order was received for three vehicles to be fitted out for use as fish and ship vans in Northern Ireland. After some deliberation,…
Derryard aftermath; the introduction of the rifle grenade into Northern Ireland
The introduction of the AP rifle launched grenade came after the lethal IRA ambush at Derryard just after 1600 hrs on 13 December 1989. This prompted an Urgent Operational Requirement…
Protecting Northern Ireland’s Infrastructure
With any conflict comes a risk to national infrastructure by terrorist organisations as a means to exert power and create panic and unrest among the population in the name of…
Visit Report – Grey Point Fort
Grey Point Fort sits on the southern side of Belfast Lough, the first of two coastal artillery forts (the sister fort being the now demolished Kilroot Battery on the northern…
Visit Report – Fort Luton
Constructed as one of five forts surrounding the historic Naval dockyard of Chatham, construction of Fort Luton commenced in 1876. But as the end of the 19th century saw advances…
Parachute Mine Defused in London, October 1969
Having conducted some research in the Royal Engineer Bomb Disposal (BD) archives at Carver Barracks, I came across a fascinating report covering the neutralising of a WW2 German Type GC…
Lower Medway Pillboxes
Selecting a marker will bring up a link with the name and OSGB Grid Reference of the location; click on the link and you will be taken to an image/s…
Ide Hill Ammunition Park
As the war in Europe intensified and the struggle for the protection of Britain grew, so did the need for the storage of more and more ammunition. Storage predictions proved…
The Development of Internal Security Equipment for Northern Ireland (1972)
In 1972 Brigadier Sir Ian Jardine had the task of writing a history of the Northern Ireland emergency including an annex on equipment development. The document below is the content…
