guarding the Frome and the weir
guarding the A356
I had difficulty finding the doorway on this one. Guarded by an enthusiastic hollybush and ancient brambles, I confirmed where I thought it was by taking a photograph of the interior through an observation hole before crawling under the wire to get a photograph. I returned later with secateurs and fought my way in. Fortunately this pillbox was different to the weir one as the steps led directly into the interior so I managed to get my photograph through an observation slit though with not quite the results I had intended.
The interior photo below shows the observation height inside which compares with the exterior height on the left . It also shows the small opening which faces on to the entrance steps
Between the road and the river. The main problem with this one is that it readily floods, the internal doorway is very low and then there is at least another 12" down to floor level inside. As there is usually water at the bottom of the steps, stepping inside risks getting wellies full of very murky water . Black 'tide' marks on the interior walls indicate high water
an ammunition store by the railway line. Until a few years ago it had a tin roof and was used as a scooter shed and a quiet spot for 'courting'
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a recent temporary resident
a view of the A37, A356, railway and viaduct and the Frome;
was there an auxilary look out post up here?
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guarding rhe tunnel
and then there's this, halfway down the slope between the railway and the A356
World War 2 Defences
Frampton
There are a number of pillboxes in Frampton because of the juxtaposition of road, rail and river. Some have been destroyed, one is buried and another is deep in the undergrowth along the railway cutting. They are an essential ingredient in the history of the area.
Not quite sure what this was supposed to prevent under the viaduct at Grimstone
There are many other reminders of World War 2 in the area. These brick walls are below Poundbury Hillfort near Dorchester.
There was an army camp between here and Dorchester. This was the firing range and a meccca for small boys hunting for ammunition cases long after the war
There's a lot of 'tank traps' round Maiden Newton. These particular ones, part of a double row, guard the railway line which used to run to West Bay
These tank traps run alongside the River Hooke
The remains of an ammunition store and an anti-aircraft gun turret, both alongside the River Frome
This now peaceful old quarry housed two large guns firing out across West Bay. They got here, presumably from Weymouth, via the railway line just up the lane
and these are close to the railway bridge on the A356 to Crewkerne
These 'pieces' of pillbox are at the junction of the A37 and the A356
Frampton's air raid warning siren
click on photo for details
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The top label reads deliver to
Mr A Worth
13 Dorchester Road Frampton
which we think would have been part
of what is now Wessex Barn
I had hoped to get an inside out view through one of the slits. 2nd left of the row below is the entrance.and when I investigated I found a 3ft drop beyond the sill. I could have got in but I would have had difficulty getting out again and I doubt if my mobile phone would have worked inside those thick concrete and brick walls. The blast walls look as if they had been constructed yesterday
'The enemy approaches
with a deadly weapon'
This photo gives a neat underscore to floor level against ground level. Scout stands 18" at his shoulder, inside the height to the slit is 4ft to 4ft 6" A 6ft defender could easily stand upright in these constructions
The grey box on the wall was the communications centre for the village. The original was replaced by BT in the 1980s and then still had to be checked at regular intervals for Civil Defence purposes.
