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Pillbox 2 - OSGB Grid Reference SO698119
Pillbox 2 - OSGB Grid Reference SO698119

The village of Arlingham in Gloucestershire sits in the middle of what could be a peninsula of land protruding into the River Severn. To the east is Framliode, the start point of Stop Line Green; a Second World War line of defences that formed the northern line of protection for Bristol. These four pillboxes sit in a strategic location on the eastern river banks toward the end of the Severn as a navigable channel. If left unprotected the
agricultural land to the rear could be exploited as a forming up point for advancing troops intent on pushing into England.

The four pillboxes that remain in varying states of preservation have all been constructed in the same manner. Of the four, two have been almost complete buried as the flood defences have been reworked and also sinking into the silty soil. The two remaining above ground have been filled to the loopholes with silt. Some references suggest these boxes are prefabricated; this is not the case. The pillboxes utilise precast reinforced panels into which the concrete core was poured. These panels were designed to fit horizontally into upright beams, but in this construction, they have been used vertically. Not all the wall sections use these precast sections, some parts of the pillbox (mainly the loopholes and door) have been cast from concrete as the core was being poured and these used wood shuttering that was later removed. The same precast concrete panels were used in the roof of the box and a pour of concrete was added on top of these. It is possible to see that where a gap in the roof was too narrow for the precast panels some paving slabs were laid on top to fill the hole.

The pillboxes are a Type 26 variation, being rectangular in shape with a small loophole on each of the four sides. A small door (no longer visible) was included at ground level on the long side of the pillbox, exiting away from the river. The earth and grass on the roof are likely to be original camouflage added to mask the pillboxes from aerial view. In a photograph from the 1990s also available on Flickr, one of the pillboxes appears to have a concrete section on the roof which may have been a small blast wall or protection for the low entrance.

I have numbered the pillboxes 1 to 4; Pillbox 1 being northernmost and overlooking the village of Broadoak on the west side of the river, down to Pillbox 4 the southernmost opposite the boatyard at Bullo.

Attribution Some rights reserved
Taken on: January 16, 2022
Tags: Everybody's photos tagged with pillbox pillbox Everybody's photos tagged with Arlingham Arlingham Everybody's photos tagged with Second World War Second World War more » Everybody's photos tagged with WW2 WW2 Everybody's photos tagged with Stop Line Green Stop Line Green Everybody's photos tagged with River Severn River Severn Everybody's photos tagged with Type 26 Type 26 « less
Sets appears in:   • Pillboxes - Arlingham, Gloucestershire   
Camera: Sony ILCE-6000, f/11.0, 1/30 sec, 350mm (=525mm), ISO 100 (more info) (hide info)
Camera: Sony ILCE-6000
Lens: Sony E 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 OSS
Aperture: f/11.0
Exposure Time: 0.033 sec (1/30)
Focal Length: 350mm (35mm equivalent: 525mm)
ISO: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program: Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode: Auto
Metering Mode: Multi-segment
White Balance: Auto
Color Space: sRGB
Software: ACDSee Photo Studio 8
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Pillbox 2 - OSGB Grid Reference SO698119

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