Monument record MLI43298 - First World War Pillbox, Sea View, Saltfleetby
Summary
Remains of a First World War pillbox at Sea View, Saltfleetby.
Type and Period (2)
- OBSERVATION POST (Second World War to 21st Century - 1940 AD to 2050 AD)
- PILLBOX (First World War to 21st Century - 1916 AD? to 2050 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
Full Description
Three-bay concrete pillbox facing north-east, with holdfast for anti-aircraft gun on roof. {1}
Rectangular concrete-faced pillbox with concrete lumps on roof to break up outline. Bolts on roof indicate anit-aircraft gun mounting. Now sunken in sand bluff with embrasures below ground and only top of doorway showing. Faces north-east towards sea. {2}{3}
A photograph of the pillbox was taken in October 2007, during site visits conducted for the Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey. {4}
Additional photographs of the structure were taken in June 2012, during further site visits for the Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey. Despite previous interpretations, the structure appears to actually date to the First World War, having the trapezoidal shape and rusticated finish typical of pillboxes of that date. The structure is orientated along a south-east to north-west axis, with the entrance door located in the middle of the south-western elevation. The structure has just two embrasures, located in the end walls, giving enfilading fields of fire along the beach, but not to the front. The rusticated appearance of the exterior is the result of a sandbag and timber shuttering, used when the concrete was poured into place.
The pillbox was re-used during the Second World War, when a rectangular structure was built upon the roof. This structure has been largely demolished, although concrete strip foundations and two 0.5" iron bolts remain extant. Although it was previously thought that the pillbox had been adapted into a gun emplacement for a 3 or 4 inch gun, the slightness of the foundations and the type and positioning of the bolts used would suggest a smaller structure, such as an observation post, had in fact been added. {5}
Although the structure's exact date of construction is not known, it is thought likely to date to 1917, after the threat of invasion from German forces grew following the collapse of effective Russian opposition on the Eastern Front. The lack of front facing embrasures and use of sandbag shuttering was an attempt to make the structure shell-proof and able to resist naval bombardment. The pillbox is thought to have been manned by soldiers of the 7th/8th (combined) Battalions, Sherwood Foresters. It was re-occupied during the Second World War, when a probable observation post associated with Raf Theddlethorpe was added to the roof, and anti-tank cubes were installed to block the nearby exit off the foreshore (see MLI43264). For the full description and the legal address of this listed building please refer to the appropriate List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. {6}
Sources/Archives (6)
- <1> SLI4545 Unpublished Document: Dr Mike Osborne. 1999. Defence of Britain Gazetteer. p.2.
- <2> SLI14623 Digital Archive: Council for British Archaeology. 2006. Defence of Britain Archive. 5131.
- <3> SLI17088 Bibliographic Reference: William Foot. 2006. Beaches, Fields, Streets, and Hills… : The Anti-Invasion Landscapes of England, 1940. CBA Research Report 144, pp.166-73.
- <4> SLI15408 Report: Humber Field Archaeology. 2008. Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire: Donna Nook to Gibraltar Point. SA11.
- <5> SLI16012 Report: Humber Field Archaeology. 2013. Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire: Phase 3, Field Survey and Historical Assessment. SA11.
- <6> SLI13386 Website: Historic England (formerly English Heritage). 2011->. The National Heritage List for England. http://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/. 1445091.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred TF 4643 9245 (17m by 16m) Estimated from sources |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | SALTFLEETBY ST CLEMENT, EAST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (1)
Related Events/Activities (5)
- Event - Survey: Site Visit to Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes National Nature Reserve (ELI13301)
- Event - Survey: Site Visit to the First World War Pillbox and Associated Second World War Anti-Tank Cubes, Sea View, Saltfleetby (ELI13039)
- Event - Survey: Site Visit to the First World War Pillbox and Second World War Anti-Tank Cubes, Sea View, Saltfleetby (ELI12016)
- Event - Survey: Site Visits for the Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire: Donna Nook to Gibraltar Point (ELI12570)
- Event - Survey: Site Visits for the Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire: Phase 3, Field Survey and Historical Assessment (ELI13024)
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Jul 6 2023 2:48PM
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