Second World War pillbox on the west boundary of Canewdon radar reciever site, behind the village hall, Lambourne Road (EHER 20767)

A Second World War Type FW3/22 reinforced concrete pillbox located behind the Village Hall off Lambourne Hall Road. Marks of former wooden shuttering were clearly visible with bent-over metal bars on the roof possibly once supported camouflage netting. Thers is a 'Y-shaped' blast wall internally and holes for door hinges on either side of the entrance. The pillbox faces west.

July 2003. World War Two Defences in Rochford survey: site visit and desktop research. Behind the village hall at Canewdon stands a Type FW3/22 concrete pillbox with its entrance on the east side. <1> It measures 12’2” across with 7’3” long faces. Typically of this type, the walls are 15” thick with each of the five 'forward' walls containing one loophole and the rear wall with one each side of the entrance. The forward loopholes measure 12” high x 10” wide. The rear loopholes are the upright 'slit' type designed to allow an infantryman to defend the entrance with a hand-held revolver rather than a rifle or machine-gun. The entrance itself may once have had a steel door as six holes in the concrete, three each side, show where the framework would have been bolted on. Unusually, around the outside edge, on top of the pillbox, steel reinforcement rods stick up. It is not known what these would have been for, possibly to facilitate the construction of a gun emplacement on top (see EHER 20782) or perhaps on which to hang camouflage netting. On the north-east and south-west faces, projecting above the height of the roof, there are the remains of angle-iron palings. It can be seen from the surviving pillbox on the boundary of the transmitter site south of Gardeners Lane (EHER 20780) that this is the remains of the protective fencing which once ringed the site. A 1972 map of the area shows all the five pillboxes on the boundary of the receiver site to stand on the line of the fencing so that the entrances would have been inside and at least three of the forward faces outside. This pillbox stood on the west boundary. <2> Inside, there is a central 'Y-shaped' pillar. Some of the surface concrete has fallen from the roof exposing the reinforcement rods. The pillbox is not in particularly good condition. In addition to the inside deterioration mentioned above, some of the outside concrete has worn away or been chipped off in places. <3> Two photos. <4> NRHE data transfer: 1995-2002. Defence of Britain survey. Octagonal pillbox. Type 22 pillbox. Marks of wooden shuttering clearly visible. Piece of metal fencing on roof and one side. Bent over metal bars on roof [may once have supported camouflage netting?]. 'Y-shaped' blast wall inside. Holes for door hinges on either side of entrance. Faces west. Behind Village Hall, Lambourne Hall Road, Canewdon. [with site location plan drawn on form (Burden)]. <5> <6>