Site of Second World War anti-tank cubes, Eastcliff Hotel, Walton (EHER 10615)

Site of Second World War anti-tank cubes, now destroyed. Contemporary records state, "A/T blocks and wire".

Site of Second World War anti-tank cubes, now destroyed. Contemporary records state, "A/T blocks and wire. Eastcliffe Hotel. Map ref. 707403" (Mil.Ed.). <1> The full extent of these anti-tank obstacles are now known from aerial photographs taken in February and July 1941. <2> <3> Starting outside the Eastcliff Hotel, a long row of anti-tank cubes ran in a straight line along the front boundaries NE along East Terrace, past the hotel, the five houses next to it and across the area in front of the old lifeboat station to the seawall at TM 2601 2245. Here, it turned NW for a few yards before again turning NE along the seaward side of the path which leads to the junction with Green Lane. At Green Lane, the row of cubes ended at the road barrier immediately east of the junction (EHER 10617). In total, there were around 150 cubes. They appear to have been taken up by July 1946 as an aerial photograph of that date shows much of the line as ground marks left after they had been removed. <4> Surprisingly, the footprint of part of the line, along East Terrace, can still be made out in the cracks in the tarmac, quite distinctive, where the ground has sunk into the depression caused when the footings were removed. Site visit by F. Nash as part of the defence of Tendring survey, 2012 One photo was taken of the site. <5>