Monument record MWX1322 - World War Two hexagonal Type 22 pillbox, Chesters Hill, Abbotsbury

A World War II type 22 pillbox located on top of Chesters Hill, West Fleet. It is hexagonal on plan and built of brick and reinforced concrete. The pillbox was probably constructed in 1940 and was situated within the Abbotsbury Defence area, which at this time was manned by the 6th Battalion Durham Light Infantry. A field visit in 1995 found it to be in a damaged condition. The site is visible as an extant structure on aerial photographs.

Hexagonal type 22 pillbox in damaged condition [there is evidence of attempts to break up the pillbox]. Top of Chesters Hill, West Fleet on private farm land. <1-3>

The site is visible as an extant structure on aerial photographs <4-5> and was digitally plotted during the South Dorset Ridgeway Mapping Project.

<1> Council for British Archaeology, 1995, Defence of Britain Project, S0003108 (Digital archive). SWX5.

<1> Council for British Archaeology, 2003, Defence of Britain Project Database, S0003108 (Machine readable data file). SDO128.

<3> Council for British Archaeology, 2006, Defence of Britain Project Archive DEB01, S0003108 (Excavation archive). SDO17227.

<4> 01-FEB-1968, MAL 6804 004-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12184.

<5> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1824 3319-20 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12185.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1419102 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Apr 27 2023 8:40AM