Monument record TQ 77 SE 117 - Remains of a World War II Pillbox, Lodge Hill, Hoo St. Werburgh

Mostly demolished remains of concrete type 24 pillbox, with some traces of the former existence of a brick skin. Situated at the W. angle of Cross-track, Lodge Hill.

Description from record TQ 77 SE 1254:
Destroyed, rubble only.
Owner : Public
Publicly accessible : Yes
How accessed for survey : End of Lodge Hill Lane
Tourism Potential : None.
Condition : Destroyed
Date of visit : 11/10/06

Identified in Second World War aerial photographs (1)

Brick shuttered pillbox, with a 3 metre base. Mostly demolished remains of concrete type 24 pillbox, with some traces of the former existence of a brick skin. At the W. angle of Cross-track, Lodge Hill - between Lodge Hill Lane and Spendiff. (1)

TQ 7545 7379. The pillbox described in authority 1 is visible on aerial photographs and has been mapped, and its location more precisely identified, as part of the English Heritage: Hoo Peninsula Landscape Project. It is located near the north west corner of Lodge Hill Royal Naval Armaments Depot (Monument 1077634), and would have formed part of the depot's defences. It was also associated with the Hoo Stop Line (Monument 1532577), a system of anti tank ditches, gun emplacements and pillboxes constructed 1940 across the south western third of the Hoo Peninsula, from the Medway to the Thames. The site of this pillbox is masked by trees, and the structure was first clearly shown on photographs taken in 1951. (2-3

Photographs taken in 2003 and 2007 indicate that the structure has been largely demonished, and only existe as foundations. (4-5)

Examination of aerial photographs indicates that the pillbox described in this record is the same structure as that recorded as Monument 1418705. (6)

<1> Not applicable, SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry, Site visit by VTC Smith 1995 (Miscellaneous Material). SKE6440.

<2> MMRG, 10/11/06, Type 24 pillbox (Photograph). SKE14690.

<3> Historic England, 2012, National Mapping Programme survey: Hoo Peninsula (Digital archive). SKE32442.

<4> English Heritage, 2013, Hoo Peninsula, Kent. Hoo Peninsula Historic Landscape Project (Bibliographic reference). SKE31432.

<5> MMRG, 10/11/06, Type 24 pillbox (Photograph). Ske14690.

<6> 11th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment, 18/01/41, War diary. (Collection). Ske14331.

<7> 11th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment, 18/01/41, War diary. (Collection). SKE14331.

<8> Council for British Archaeology, 2002, Defence of Britain Project (Digital archive). SKE32029.