Second World War Pillbox, North of Manor Way, Holland-on-Sea (EHER 10793)

Earth pit and concrete pillbox, north side of Manor Way, Holland-on-Sea.

Desk based assessment, 1996 Contemporary records state, 'Earth pit and concrete pillbox. Part of OS No. 39, N side of Manor Way, Holland-on-Sea' <1> No further information has been found. Site visit by Nash, July 2007 This pillbox, in fact, still survives, semi-sunken in the rear garden of one of the houses which line the north side of Manor Way. It is of particularly unusual type, hexagonal with two opposite 12-foot long walls and four shorter walls, forming an elongated lozenge shape pointed at both ends. The entire structure is dug into the ground, with one of the long sides facing down the slope towards the lower-lying ground to the north. Now wooded, during the Second World War this was clear, providing a wide field-of-fire against attack from inland. This long face has two loopholes; each of the four shorter walls has one. All loopholes have steel shutters with a small central cut-out. On the south face, down a short flight of concrete steps, is the entrance, now fitted with a door. Around the structure, immediately below the loopholes, a thick concrete ‘skirt’ has been added to give better protection. Around this, earth has been piled up such that the pillbox shows a very low profile, seemingly impregnable against anything other than a direct hit. Perhaps the most obvious, and unusual, feature is the roof. Although the main structure is six-sided, the roof sits as a four-sided rectangular shape on the top, over-lapping at the four corners. It measures 19’ long x 12’ 8” wide x 4” thick. With the camouflaging effect of the roof, from the air the pillbox would have appeared as a flat-roofed shed or outhouse. The interior has not been accessed. Eight photos of site <2> This pillbox is of a very unusual type, probably the only one of its exact design in the county. During World War Two there were a great many pillboxes defending Clacton, Holland-on-Sea, Jaywick and the surrounding area. Very few have survived and every effort should be made to ensure the continued survival of this example. <3>