Site of Second World War road barrier, Spital Road, Maldon (EHER 20279)

Now destroyed. The site of a Second World War rail and socket barrier at Spital Road, at the point where the road crosses the railway cutting. It can be seen in an aerial photograph from 1944 but was no longer present when surveyed in 1999.

1999. World War Two Defences in Maldon survey: site visit and desktop research. Contemporary records state, 'Road block. Spital Road - nr bridge'. and 'Road Barrier. Road No. A.414, West Station, Spital Road. Map ref 288248'. (Mil. Ed.) <1> Spital Road crossed a deep railway cutting at this point via a long road bridge and Maldon West railway station was located here. Neither the station nor the railway line now exist. Although the bridge across the cutting still carries traffic along Spital Road much of the terrain has been altered by the addition of the Maldon by-pass. <2> A list of the Maldon road barriers is given in the appendix of <3> written in 1951, and this includes a rail and socket barrier at 'Spital Road (West Station)'. <3> The distinctive four-line pattern of the road sockets can be seen on a 1944 aerial photograph taken by the U.S. air force. They crossed Spital Road at the south end of the bridge, immediately outside the entrance of the track to Maldon Hall. <4> There is now no sign of any remains. <5>