Site of Second World War Pillbox, Corner of Sladbury's Lane/Holland Road (EHER 10779)

Site of Second World War Pillbox, now destroyed. Contemporary records state, Pillbox (partly on road).

Contemporary records state, "Pillbox (partly on road). ‘Peter Pan’ Tea House, at corner of Sladburys Lane and Holland Main Road, Front Garden. Map ref 639345". (Mil. Ed.) It is not known which part of the junction this refers to and nothing significant can be made out on a 1946 aerial photograph. <1> <2> However, on a low-level 1:2520 aerial photograph taken in 1948 something can be seen beneath a tree on the south side of Holland Road by the probable site of the road barrier (SMR 10780). In this position it would be partly in the front garden of a house which lies back off the road. <3> Verbal communication, August 2006: It is now known that the ‘Peter Pan’ Tea House lay on the North West corner of the junction and the pillbox therefore must have stood on that corner, apparently half-in and half-out of the property. From this position it would probably have been able to fire both down Sladbury’s Lane and eastwards along the Frinton Road approach. <4> Site visit by Fred Nash, 2006 as part of the defence of Clacton survey. The ‘Peter Pan’ plot has now been built over by private bungalows. <5>