Anti-Tank block and 'hairpins' at Paynes Lane, Nazeing (EHER 10091)

At Paynes Lane a surviving anti-tank block and five metal 'hairpins' on the west side and nine metal 'hairpins' on the east side survive. Very few of these Second World War features remain extant so this is a rare survival. Summary from record 83175: The site of Second World War anti-tank cubes that were located at a nursery on Paynes Lane.

At the southern end of Paynes Lane a few yards north of Langridge Cottages is where the original anti-tank ditch of the Outer London Defence Ring crossed the road from west to east (see <1>). To block the verges between the anti-tank ditch on each side and the roadway, fixed anti-tank obstacles were erected and are still in position. They consist of one large concrete block plus five 'hairpins' on the west side and nine 'hairpins' on the east side. Very few hairpins survive, and this is thus a rare survival. <4> Hairpins were lengths of bent railway line concreted into the ground. Originally, the roadway itself would probably have had rows of metal sockets concreted into it (see <2>) and at the last moment before an attack hairpins would have been inserted into them. <1> <2> Very few hairpins still survive and this is therefore a rare find. Two photos of site. <3> No new information from NRHE for Defence of Britain record S0002393. Description from EHER 83175 - record created separately in the NRHE at TL 383 058 in error for Defence of Britan record S0014707: "Cube-type" anti-tank obstacles, which would have been placed in this position to prevent tanks squeezing through the gap. Categorised C for removal, 1951. <4> <5> <6> considers S0014707 (their reference e23667) as 'Probably a duplicate of S0002393'.