Site of Second World War Road Barrier, Wash Lane, Clacton-on-Sea (EHER 21209)

Site of Second World War Road Barrier, now destroyed.

WWII Defence of Clacton survey Contemporary records state “Concrete pimples in N.E. corner, ‘Mushoka’, Wash Lane, front garden” and “41 concrete pimples. ‘Cornerways’, 78 Freeland Road, Garden.” <1> This barrier, with removable road element, breached across Wash Lane from “Mushoka” (now No. 31) on the west side to “Cornerways” (No. 78 Freeland Road) on the east side, sealing off the five-way junction against an attack from the north. Aerial photograph, 1941 The position of the barrier can be seen on a July 1941 aerial photograph as a series of blotches across the road, probably where the steel rail sockets had been concreted into the surface. The same aerial photograph clearly shows the garden of “Cornerways”, full of anti-tank pimples. <2> Until probably the 1990’s one of the “Mushoka” pimples still survived in the front garden. It was photographed by Derek Johnson, a local historian, and appeared in his book “East Anglia at War, 1939-1945” which was published in 1992. <3> Site visit by F. Nash 2007 Nothing now survives. <4>