Foto's

Nearly sixty years ago, Britain faced the very real prospect of invasion. Up and down the country preparations were made to defend the coastline. Concrete "pillboxs" formed part of the hurriedly erected coastal defences.

Industrial Teesside was an obvious target for attack with a huge concentration of chemical and steel industry around the mouth of the river Tees. This particular pillbox was constructed just inside the mouth of the river among sand dunes. Whilst an invader never dared the river, time and mother nature is an implacable enemy and the pillbox has collapsed down the side of a dune and onto the beach below. It is still whole though now at a rather drunken angle.

By looking through the embrasure we see the industry that the pillbox "defended" for so long.

The photograph itself has used a little fill-in flash from the internal flash on the camera to show a little of the internal detail.