Weekly photo challenge. 21.2.11 – 27.2.11 – War relics

War relics this week.

Any period, so that’s Iron Age hill forts right up to modern ROC bunkers.
To avoid duplicating a previous theme, keep to anything built with a military defensive purpose, not war memorials.
Keep it to fixed structures as well. I’ve got ideas for doing vehicle related themes in the future.

You might find some inspiration here.
http://www.pillboxesuk.co.uk/
http://www.castleuk.net/
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/873564/posts

cheers, nae shortage of castles or military stuff around me.
House is built on an old airfield and early years playground was a castle 😆
Just time in daylight hrs this week will be the problem ❗

Hmmm! Not sure I can find a castle up here in Northumberland, might be one somewhere I’ve just never noticed.

I know of a tank that hasn’t moved for a very long time. It might even be ‘concreted in’ to deter the joyriders. Does that count?

An air raid shelter/ checkpoint.

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I’ll be at a secret bunker on Sunday during an audax. Not sure if I should take a picture or not!

What is an Audax ?

Not the most exciting war relic’s collection (or photo’s) but we are in the middle of the country, so pillboxes are quite rare….

Spigot mortar or Blacker Bombard mount (next to the a bridge entering the village, it’s to the left of the building)
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Kinver Pumping station[/url] by z1ppy2[/url], on Flickr

Close up so you can actually see it (there a stainless steel pivot mount on the very top just sticking out of the ivy)
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Kinver Spigot Mortar Mount[/url] by z1ppy2[/url], on Flickr

Explaination of what one is http://www.brookmans.com/news/may03/spigotmortar.shtml

Kinver Edge’s Iron Age fort:
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Kinver Edge’s Iron Age fort[/url] by z1ppy2[/url], on Flickr

This is the far right of that picture, to get a bit more perspective:
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Kinver Edge’s Iron Age fort (#2)[/url] by z1ppy2[/url], on Flickr

Just over the other side from that (the outside face of the fort, in it’s external ditch) is this WW2 observation post, used by the Home guard (observation corp’s?) to spot for german bombing raids, so I’m told.
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Kinver edge WW2 Observation Post[/url] by z1ppy2[/url], on Flickr

and the pièce de résistance, Drakelow Tunnels complex /WW2 Drakelow Underground Dispersal Factory (shadow factory)/ RGHQ Regional Seat of Government (RSG9).
Sealed tunnel entrance (tunnel 1 ?)

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Sealed Drakelow bunker entrance[/url] by z1ppy2[/url], on Flickr

The current main entrance (tunnel 4 ?)
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Drakelow bunker entrance[/url] by z1ppy2[/url], on Flickr
Map of the original layout (too smal to zoom unfortunately)
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Drakelow tunnels map (shadow factory)[/url] by z1ppy2[/url], on Flickr

External generator room (there are several external buildings, like this, ontop of the bunker plot)
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Generator room (view 2)[/url] by z1ppy2[/url], on Flickr

Same generator room (other end)
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Generator room (view 1)[/url] by z1ppy2[/url], on Flickr

Inside:
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Inside the generator room[/url] by z1ppy2[/url], on Flickr

Other people pictures of the bunker http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=55488 http://www.flickr.com/photos/newage2/sets/72157625328267083/
Wiki history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drakelow_Tunnels

I’ve included these (below) because I got them all on the same ride…
Annoyingly I found some public art round the back of the generator room (didn’t know it was there for Graham’s thread the other week)
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Just another tag[/url] by z1ppy2[/url], on Flickr

again I meant to add take a picture of this for the monuments thread the other week, and it’s actually ontop of the bunker plot
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Richard Baxter’s Pillar nr Kinver[/url] by z1ppy2[/url], on Flickr

Richard Baxter (the pillar is a monument to him) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Baxter

and the local St Peter’s Church lychgate:
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St Peter’s Church Lychgate, Kinver[/url] by z1ppy2[/url], on Flickr

the whole church and some daff’s for RD
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St Peter’s Church, Kinver[/url] by z1ppy2[/url], on Flickr

Well here’s tonight’s offering. Looks like my night rides are becoming geared round this photo thread these days!
Pillbox near Chapeltown.

Here’s what it looks like in daylight:

Looking forward to next weeks! Keep up the good work.

Right then. I’ve been lurking on the edge of these weekly posts for a while now (nearly posted a pic of my bike with a water bottle on the seat for the underwater one but thought that was a bit cheeky for my first go). Anyway, an old fella I used to work with about 10 years ago told me about this place so A slight detour on 1 of my regular routes and there it was.

It’s in a farmers field just outside Swindon and apparently it’s quite rare because it’s built so far above ground.

Aaaarrrggggh! *pulls hair out*
a lesson in adding photo’s to forum posts anyone?

There’s a pill box in there somewhere, honest.

Pretty sure this was built during WW2 to help get the spuds in.

Right, here’s what I tried to post earlier

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22022011[/url] by Daves mate[/url], on Flickr

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22022011_001[/url] by Daves mate[/url], on Flickr

And for a Brucie Bonus I found this on the ride home

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22022011_003[/url] by Daves mate[/url], on Flickr

[/quote]MrSparkle – Member
Well here’s tonight’s offering. Looks like my night rides are becoming geared round this photo thread these days!
Pillbox near Chapeltown.

mmmm! yep i had noticed, i am just waiting for the photo challenge with bike next to naked ladies or bike in a nice warm sunny place challenge. Now that would be a challenge, was a bit like a covert mission last night “sure theres a path down here”

Lots of these near me.

Track in background is last years project.

Guarding these;

Control tower just along the road;

Info here + my house can be seen in newer colour pics;
http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/search_item/index.php?service=RCAHMS&id=91761

Battery Point, Portishead, Bristol

All times periods covered 🙂 Whats my Prize ?

Click for bigger versions is interested.

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Anti-aircraft emplacement near Poolewe. There are loads of them in the area as the loch was used for getting convoys together in WW2.

Here’s this weeks offering, I couldn’t get inside to take photo’s as they don’t open until 11am in the Winter.The history of this bunker starts way back in world war 2 as a starfish site confusing enemy bombers and undoubtedly saved many lives. In the 1950s Hack Green was converted into a nuclear bunker for early warning of missile attack and for post attack co-ordination and government. Also known as Mersey Radar it provided safe flight paths for military air traffic until the end of the cold war period. The history of the area goes much further back and there have been many conflicts from civil war skirmishes and Viking raids.

A couple of entries from me this week – the pillbox is guarding the Great North Road into Darlington

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The remains of Piercebridge Roman Fort Dere Street which guarded one of the few bridges across the Tees back then.

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Well I went looking,

Then I changed my mind.

Forgot my camera, again, so none for me.

Tinsribz those signs are all over the place around Alwinton, just ride. You often find some rifle rounds, smoke grenades but nothing much else.

Cnoc Farrel – remains of vitrified fort (Iron Age)
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Castle Leod – 1500s castle
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Been a castle here since 1200s – there used to be access to the sea originally.

If you’re looking for next week’s thread, it’s here.
http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/weekly-photo-challenge-28211-6311-trains