This Royal Observer Corps observation bunker was constructed in 1959 and closed with the first wave of posts in 1968 (unlike those remaining in operation into the 1990s). As a result, it has been exposed to the elements and vandals for longer and appears to have suffered an arson attack. An original bed survives as…
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Once the Second World started in 1939, Britain was keeping a close eye on the east-coast of the country to prevent any German invasion. Burnham-on-Crouch in Essex was little more than a small yacht town before World War Two however the town became much more important when Germany invaded France. With Kent and South-Essex heavily…
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Built close to Dagenham East Station, these anti-tank cylinders were built in World War Two to slow down any German tanks, should they have made it that far. The row of these concrete defences can be seen on Google Maps and spans over 80 metres, with a Type 22 pillbox at the eastern end. On…
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Down an unmade lane in the quaint countryside Essex village of Hatfield Heath lies what at first appears to be a set of abandoned farm sheds. This hutment was in fact Prisoner of War Camp ‘High Hall’ 116, and once housed around 1,500 Italian, Austrian, and (from 1943) German soldiers captured in the European and…
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Nearly 1,000 anti-aircraft sites were built during the Second World War and 192 were retained for use with nuclear weapons in what would be known as the Cold War. Under a plan code named ‘Igloo’, 78 sites were chosen with 54 having guns permanently mounted however at the outbreak of the Korean War, 683 batteries…
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Opened in 1943, Rivenhall was used by both the Royal Air Force and United States Army Air Force. During the war it was used primarily as a combat airfield with various fighter and bomber units based there. In was closed following the end of the the war in 1946 although it was kept in reserve for a following…
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Silver End is a village in the Braintree area of Essex, constructed in the late 1920s as a self-contained ‘model village’ by Francis Henry Crittall; who established his Crittall Windows factory at the centre of the village. Crittall steel-framed windows achieved international popularity in everything from military buildings to the Titanic. Crittall aimed to provide…
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Above the surface it looks like a normal country cottage, but beneath the building lies something completely different – a nuclear bunker. The only clue from above the surface is a pylon, although beneath the surface various rooms were build to accommodate a team to keep the country running in the event of a nuclear…
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This Royal Observer Corps observation post bunker was constructed in 1959 and closed at the end of the Cold War in 1991. Its relatively good condition is likely owing to its late shutdown date compared to ROC posts which shut much earlier. Inside can be found various furniture as well as non-original agricultural manuals.
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Woodhouse Farm dates back to the early 17th century and is Grade II listed, despite being modified over the years. It lies derelict next to the former RAF Rivenhall site near Whitham however since visiting the site we’ve seen plans which show that the farm will be restored and made into a visitor heritage museum….
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