tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615291207225433851.post2204467211969378543..comments2023-04-10T07:15:16.714-07:00Comments on WW1 and WW2 Defences - Suffolk and beyond: Benacre / Kessingland Part 2Davehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18003299348027486816noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615291207225433851.post-35135605893497476142017-04-09T03:12:17.353-07:002017-04-09T03:12:17.353-07:00Just to update this - the Heavy Anti-Aircraft tunn...Just to update this - the Heavy Anti-Aircraft tunnels and bunkers are now gone - the cliff erosion is very fast there. The remains of the two concrete slabs that mounted the guns are sitting intact on the beach, just in the water. Amazing they haven't broken up. The eroding cliffs have revealed some other shallow bunkers backfilled with rubble that are now visible from the beach, about 3ft down from the top. Just north, the rifle range retaining concrete wall fell over to the beach last week. The ROC building just south of Pontins is still perched on the edge - resisting the demand to fall over. The old Chain Home Low buildings are land side of this, so still there for a while. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08988578398374873441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615291207225433851.post-21442582961801835172011-05-29T01:08:06.328-07:002011-05-29T01:08:06.328-07:00Many thanks for the comment - I certainly did not ...Many thanks for the comment - I certainly did not realise that the shingle was transported so far. I have had a few little snippets of info such as this as a result of this blog - certainly information which would otherwise be lost / remain unrecorded.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18003299348027486816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615291207225433851.post-84043041792587238882011-05-28T01:43:12.439-07:002011-05-28T01:43:12.439-07:00The small lake visible on the first photo was form...The small lake visible on the first photo was formed when shingle was removed to build WW2 airfields such as Ellough airfield. My grandfather, William Sampson, was contracted to move loads of shingle using his truck. There is a very well preserved "Twin Vickers Machine Gun" pillbox just inland on Beach Farm.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615291207225433851.post-26311501897622541132010-09-17T20:05:41.403-07:002010-09-17T20:05:41.403-07:00The Tunnels are situated on what used to be the ol...The Tunnels are situated on what used to be the old Golf course at the back of Pontins Holiday camp in South Pakefield-further South from the Camp there is several old bunkers and a large bunker that had a machine gun on top during the war-the metal bars are all that are left of this and some of the pill boxes along the cliff edge have been consumed by the sea as well as the tunnels etc....Colin James Watlinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01239413629234629927noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615291207225433851.post-66140412270316292722010-08-25T11:25:25.163-07:002010-08-25T11:25:25.163-07:00I remember the tunnels well as a kid when i went ...I remember the tunnels well as a kid when i went on holiday to kessingland you could climb down them during the early 80s.But being a bit nervous didnt venture more than a foot down the metal ladder!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615291207225433851.post-78122819060747443252010-05-24T23:08:49.397-07:002010-05-24T23:08:49.397-07:00Hi Colin
Do you have a grid ref for the bunkers at...Hi Colin<br />Do you have a grid ref for the bunkers at Pontins - is there public access to them? I remember a large concrete structure visible at one of the pits when I first visited Suffolk back in 1989 - unfortunately had no interest in WW2 anti-invasion defences them! I assume it was the remains of Kessingland Emergency Coastal Battery.<br />Regards<br />DaveDavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18003299348027486816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8615291207225433851.post-76753226102051972872010-05-14T19:44:39.223-07:002010-05-14T19:44:39.223-07:00Those anti tank cubes were once lined out right al...Those anti tank cubes were once lined out right along the beach from Benacre pumping station to the South somewhere-must have been a 100 or more of them but the sea has consumed them over the years-a very large pill box was once at the eastern end of the waters edge of one of those gravel pits but that has also now been consumed by the sea.<br /><br />There are still a number of pill boxes and concrete outposts a little further inland including an underground bunker going down 30 feet which I think has now been filled in.<br /><br />At Pontins to the North of Kessingland there are a number of wartime bunkers still visible and the tunnels at the camp itself which have now been also filled in or been washed away by the sea.Colin James Watlinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01239413629234629927noreply@blogger.com