Site of Second World War anti tank obstacle at The Old Mill (EHER 10389)

An aerial photograph taken by the RAF in 1946 shows four anti-tank blocks in a line across the bridge on the E side of the Old Mill House.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: An aerial photograph taken by the RAF in 1946 shows four anti-tank blocks in a line across the bridge on the east side of the Old Mill House. <1> A "Categorisation of Defence Works" form from the Ministry of Town and Country Planning, Cambridge, to the County Planning Adviser, Chelmsford, in 1949 describes this as "A/T Trap. O.S. Nos. 184 and 206." with a hand- written note "A/T trap concrete blocks, obstruct passage over bridge". <2> Although the site has not been visited an aerial photograph taken in 1980 indicates that the blocks no longer exist. <3> A Second World anti-tank obstacle is visible on aerial photographs taken in 1946 but was removed by October 1950. The obstacle is centred at TL 5204 3642 and comprised a line of five anti-tank cubes that extended for 15m SSW/NNE, between TL 5204 3642 and TL 5204 3643, immediately west of a bridge over the River Cam. A gap between the two southernmost cubes could suggest that a sixth cube had already been removed to allow access. Aerial photographs taken in 1950 show that all of the remaining cubes had been removed. The obstacle is defended by a pillbox located 15m to the south-west. It is one of a number of similar defensive features constructed along the River Cam in 1940-1941 and formed part of the GHQ Line (Essex). <1> <4> See also: <5>