Beyond the Point
  • Home
  • All Sites
  • Videos
  • About
  • News
  • Contact
  • Image Use
  • Prev
  • Next

Sadlers Farm A13 Defensive Roadblock

25 February 202525 February 2025 By Liam Heatherson

At the junction of the Sadlers Farm roundabout and Tarpots on the A13 road lies a suspected wartime remnant passed by hundreds of people everyday that goes largely unnoticed. The A13 originally formed the London-Southend road that historically connected the capital to Southend, and was a frequent route for holiday makers as well as being a vital connection between the capital and south-east Essex.

During the Second World War, when threats of a German invasion were high in mid 1940, signposts were removed and major routes fitted with obstacles which could be utilized to slow an enemy assault. Furthermore, people’s freedom of movement was restricted as seaside towns became defended strongpoints lined with fortifications against amphibious landings.

This rare surviving roadblock likely formed one of two either side of the original road between which a pole or rope obstacle could have been placed to render the road unusable, perhaps forming a defensive position where a Home Guard ambush might have taken place. To the immediate west of the modern Sadlers Farm roundabout spanned the GHQ stop line from Canvey Island running north up the east of England, giving further significance to the defensive importance of this area.

Whilst the wartime origin of this block has not been certified, it has been acknowledged to have been of probable wartime origin by both The Bay Museum, Canvey Island and Benfleet Community Archive (see https://www.benfleethistory.org.uk/content/browse-articles/mysteries/home-guard-defences).

This entry was posted in Location Report
  • Benfleet & Hadleigh
  • Military
  • Public Land
  • Second World War
Share

Similar Sites

  • Wales’ Remaining Asylums

    8 May 20258 May 2025
  • The Epsom Asylum Cluster

    26 February 20258 March 2025
  • Hellingly Hospital

    5 January 20256 January 2025

Post navigation

  Hellingly Hospital
The Epsom Asylum Cluster  

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Explores

  • Wales’ Remaining Asylums

    8 May 2025
  • The Epsom Asylum Cluster

    26 February 2025
  • Sadlers Farm A13 Defensive Roadblock

    25 February 2025

Recent Comments

  • PETER BENEDICT:

    Hi. Informative video. Could you tell me roughly where this
  • Anonymous:

    Thank you so much for covering where I've lived my
  • Rona Moody:

    The chapel and villas that were dedicated in 1904 were
  • Eamon Lyons:

    Just a quick note to thank you for your efforts
  • John Wakefield:

    Robert Wolfe played a concert at the State Grays in




Latest BTP News

  • Beyond the Point to document EVERY former asylum building in Britain

    10 January 2024
  • Exploring Scotland’s Abandoned Remains

    25 November 2022
About Author Liam Heatherson [email protected]

Regular Facebook Updates

YouTube Documentaries

Instagram Gallery

Don’t forget to check out the first 3 parts of o Don’t forget to check out the first 3 parts of our abandoned Scotland series on YouTube. Episode 2 is a bumper 42-minute episode featuring 6 ruined asylums!

#abandoned #derelict #abandonescotland #derelictscotland #ruined #decay #urbex #urbanexploration #asylums #derelictasylum
Another Wales trip complete - lots more great phot Another Wales trip complete - lots more great photos and videos to come 👌🏻📸

#exploring #abandoned #ruined #derelict #asylum #derelictasylum #nikon
High Royds ☠️ High Royds was once one of the High Royds ☠️

High Royds was once one of the most infamous asylums in the country, having opened in 1885. Following the closure of the site in 2003, the buildings were later converted into housing although the mortuary still remains derelict. 

#abandoned #derelict #highroydslunaticasylum #highroyds #asylum #derelicthospital #urbex #urbanexplorationphotography #urbanexplorationuk #nikonphotography
Follow on Instagram

© Beyond the Point 2025 - All Rights Reserved