2016

SY5997 : Defending Dorset in 1940: the Maiden Newton - Poole Harbour Stop Line (1)

taken 8 years ago, near to Maiden Newton, Dorset, England

Defending Dorset in 1940: the Maiden Newton - Poole Harbour Stop Line (1)
Defending Dorset in 1940: the Maiden Newton - Poole Harbour Stop Line (1)
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Anti-tank Blocks: DoB ID: S0003151

Maiden Newton Anti-tank Island - Cubes. In and around the village you will find anti-tank cubes or blocks like these, they are simply everywhere, testament to when the village was fortified and ringed with ditches, mines, and concrete blocks during the invasion threat of 1940/41. The anti-tank blocks here at Frome bridge were part of the defences designed to prevent access into the village from the river. Bounded by the River Frome and the railway, Maiden Newton was designated an anti-tank island in 1940, and would become an important part of the Southern Command inland Stop Line. This ran from Yeovil on the Somerset-Dorset border in the north west, to its southern extremity in the south east at Poole Harbour.

The Stop Line defences between Maiden Newton and Poole roughly followed the railway line and the River Frome via Dorchester and Wareham where many of them can still be found today, the majority in the form of pillboxes and concrete anti-tank blocks. This is a sequential photo record of just some of those I've been able to find and access along the former Stop Line, commencing with Maiden Newton, and from there moving eastwards towards Poole. I should add that for the descriptions I've relied almost entirely on the knowledge base of the Pillbox Study Group, who (in their own words) are committed to the study and preservation of 20th century United Kingdom and International pillboxes and anti-invasion defences. LinkExternal link.

SY5997 : Defending Dorset in 1940: the Maiden Newton - Poole Harbour Stop Line (2)

Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Mike Searle and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Historic sites and artefacts Rivers, Streams, Drainage Village, Rural settlement Defence, Military other tags: Anti-Tank Blocks Click a tag, to view other nearby images.
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
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1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
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SY5997, 303 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Mike Searle   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Wednesday, 20 January, 2016   (more nearby)
Submitted
Friday, 26 February, 2016
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SY 5963 9768 [10m precision]
WGS84: 50:46.6371N 2:34.4361W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SY 5962 9767
View Direction
Northeast (about 45 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Geograph
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