Monument record MWX1427 - Second World War Type 25 pillbox, Ringstead, Owermoigne

An excellent example of a Second World War Type 25 pillbox. The pillbox is visible as an extant structure on aerial photographs of Ringstead beach taken in 1946.

An excellent example of a type 25 pillbox. The interior remains undisturbed from WW2. There are 3 embrasures, 1ft square on the outside, increasing to 20ins x 15ins internally. Each embrasure has a small wooden shelf positioned under it and supported by 2 iron brackets. The eastern most embrasure shelf has remains of a sand bag still in place. A shovel can be seen lying on the floor in the water that is unable to drain from the structure. The concrete roof was cast directly on to the outer walls as the corrugated iron sheeting still remains intact inside. 4ft of the front elevation protrude from the cliff. It has been cast in situ with horizontally laid corrugated sheeting. <1-3>

The pillbox is visible as an extant structure on aerial photographs of Ringstead beach taken in 1946 <4>. It is still visible on the most recent comprehensive aerial imagery available to the project. This feature was digitally plotted during the South West Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey (Dorset).

<1> Council for British Archaeology, 1995, Defence of Britain Project, S0000069 (Digital archive). SWX5.

<2> Council for British Archaeology, 2003, Defence of Britain Project Database, S0000069 (Machine readable data file). SDO128.

<3> Council for British Archaeology, 2006, Defence of Britain Project Archive DEB01, S0000069 (Excavation archive). SDO17227.

<4> Royal Air Force, 04-NOV-1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1824 F20 4319-20 (Aerial Photograph). SDO12919.

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1416287 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 6 2024 4:37PM