It seems wrong of me not to have a specific section for the humble pillbox. Constructed in a time of National panic when invasion was as close as it had been for over 1,000 years. I have visted and photographed dozens of pillboxes, and written nearly as many articles interpreting their construction. Below you will find content curated to help educate and inform you about these distinctive structures.
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All pillboxes are concrete, but some are more concrete than others
I am going to make a bold statement that may cause some heated discussion. All pillboxes were made of concrete. Concrete is an incredible building material, first used by the Romans and very much still in use today. As a raw material it can be transported relatively easily; it can be mixed on-site no matter…
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Site Visit Part II – Randalstown Forest, Second World War Defences
The pillbox is synonymous with the Second World War. Thousands were constructed across the United Kingdom (and Ireland) to defend high-value areas or as part of a National defensive line. Many of them still remain and conjure up the romantic notion of local boys and men bearing arms to defend their country. Their modern interpretation…
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A study of the pillbox at Murlough Beach
For those of you who are familiar with the beach at Murlough Bay nature reserve, you may have noticed a rather unassuming pile of rubble. Without interpretation you may have thought this had been dumped some decades ago, but it provides a convenient sitting place or playground for adventurous children. It is in fact a…
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How long did it take to build a pillbox?
25 unskilled labourers, 6 carpenters, 4 steel fixers, 2 concrete workers, 1 mixer driver, 1 superintending officer One of the privileges of collecting contemporary military manuals (see the full list of publications in my library here), is that every now and again I stumble across a snippet of information that enhances my knowledge and understanding.…
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Lower Medway Pillboxes
I first published this article in 2018 when I had spent some time in Kent and after walking the River Medway around Maidstone realised that a large proportion of the Second World War pillboxes still remained. There is no interpretation with this article, it is purely a record of each pillbox, its location on a…