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Report - - Pillbox in Shilligford ,near Oxford | Military Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Pillbox in Shilligford ,near Oxford

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martindf3

28DL Member
28DL Member
Went on a weekend break to visit Oxford . Stayed at the Bridge Hotel at Shillingford . We went for a walk down the Thames for about 3/4 of a mile and came across this building nestling in the trees about 100 yds from the River . Went exploring and it looks like WW2 building but with a massive entrance .Turns out to be a defensive position for I believe a Howitzer to Guard the river . This is my first post and I struggled a little with camera settings .But I was impressed at the condition of the building after all these years .I guess the tree's hide it from view in the summer months and it looks like it is surrounded with a stream . Not the case on close inspection .
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Ordnance

Stay Safe
Staff member
Moderator
I think I know the pillbox you mean, it is on the Themes Flood Plan and is not always easy to get to and is filled with slit on the inside because of this.

it is a Type FW3/28 or 28A variant designed to take an 2 pounder anti-tank gun or WW1 vintage Hotchkiss 6pdr gun. Your photo is of the rear facing wall of the pillbox as it has a angles edge to the front and sides.
 
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martindf3

28DL Member
28DL Member
I think I know the pillbox you mean, it is on the Themes Flood Plan and is not always easy to get to and is filled with slit on the inside because of this.

it is a Type FW3/28 or 28A variant designed to take an 2 pounder anti-tank gun or WW1 vintage Hotchkiss 6pdr gun. Your photo is of the rear facing wall of the pillbox as it has a angles edge to the front and sides.
That will be the one ,the angle of the smaller of the two openings is trained at the river .approximately 100yds away . And I believe the river patrol took over the hotel where we were staying .I was surprised they had large gun emplacements just trained at the river ,but with that size opening at ,lets say the safe side and not the dangerous end . the gun could of been extracted quite quickly .
 

Ordnance

Stay Safe
Staff member
Moderator
It is part of a stop line, and the river is one of the natural defences, and pill boxes are further designed to slow down an advance or river crossing.
 
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