Preserving Pillboxes

[Rootes75]

Anyone any thoughts on or experiences of preserving pillboxes?

[67burwood]

Definitely worth preserving from a historic point. Are they currently logged/registered with any organisations such as National trust?

[Rootes75]

The Pillbox Study Group have lots of information and the website is good.

Where we live we often walk the dog by the river and there are plenty of pillboxes in various states of decay. My youngest and I have great fascination in looking inside, although most are either blocked or waterlogged!

I just think its such a shame that we havent any round here preserved to show people what they would have been like.

[Tarland]

Can definitely recommend the PSG website.

Theres a few case histories by member Tim Denton documented on the site who has done work with his local council and the Basingstoke Canal Society to preserve/secure boxes in the North Hampshire/Surrey area.

Some boxes are listed - I know a series of them near Stonehaven on one of the Scottish stop lines are listed but it isnt neccesarily the case and varies around the UK.

If a structure is listed you need Historic England/Scotland/Wales permission - effectively a form of planning permission to do any work.

There is a downloadable database available from the PSG  site that you can use with Google maps to locate a whole range of defence structures. This also provides links to any entries in your local authorities historic site record or the CANMORE database in Scotland.

[67burwood]

Thanks for the info, it would be interesting to see what’s near me in Surrey 

[Hair Bear]

Depends where in Surrey you are but the Basingstoke canal does cover Weybridge to Frimley in the west end of your patch.

[67burwood]

👍not far from weybridge so I’ll take a look.  

[Rootes75]

I have been taking photos of the pillboxes on our line, sort of forming a record of there condition at the present time. 

Many though are already crumbling away or completely taken over by undergrowth.