Site of Second World War Anti-Tank Pimples/Road Barrier, St Paul’s Road, Clacton-on-Sea (EHER 21227)

Site of Second World War Anti-Tank Pimples/Road Barrier, now destroyed.

WWII Defence of Clacton survey Contemporary records state, “Removal of fence, iron rails, dannert and approximately 90 concrete pimples. Towers Hotel, Marine Parade East, Hard Tennis Court and garden. Map ref. 629330” (Mil. Ed.) and “Concrete pimples and wire. Garden adjoining Marine Parade and St. Paul’s Road, Oulton Hall.” <1> An aerial photograph taken by the RAF in July 1941 shows a five-row band of anti-tank pimples stretching from the E side of the Towers Hotel north-eastwards across open land (probably the “hard tennis court”) to St Paul’s Road, and across this to abut the W side of Oulton Hall Hotel. In all, there were around 150 pimples. <2> Site visit, by F. Nash, 2007 The Towers Hotel still survives as an apartment block, the tennis court and garden is now a private development known as “The Towers” and Oulton Hall Hotel is still extant, but again as an apartment block. <3>