Show on mapThe pillbox is located on some wasteland overlooking the river crossing.
Its a little grotty inside as I imagine its been a teenage drinking den for years.
Theres an interesting comment on the Picture Stockton website by Martin Jones who states :-
My Grandfather Oswald Bell used to help man the pillbox as part of the 19th Stockton Battalion Home Guard, they kept their ammo in one of the Vinegar Brewery room
This is the pillbox in my back garden. I know it looks like a wasteland, but the nettles have encouraged to discourage the teenagers. My husband remembers using it as a party place in his teenage years.
Hi just to let you know I think there may be a homeless person living in the pillbox. as I have seen the pillbox on hidden Teeside I went to explore it. but inside there is a dirty double bed mattress in the room at the back and a large rusty saw outside and the room which has the mattress in is full of rubbish and outside there is some clothes a bucket (used as a toilet) and lots of drugs paraphernalia.
Hi Allegra, is this the one that could be partly seen from the road, opposite the Cleveland Bay pub?
Yes, it can be seen from the road.
Nice to see the photo, Oswald Bell was my grandfather and he was married to Vera Walls, They had two children Dorothy and Pauline (my mother). Oswald and Vera are buried in Egglescliffe Church yard, there is an old oak wooden cross with his name on it. They lived on Aislaby Bank just over the road from the Pillbox
The Pillbox was part of the 59th Division Stop line defences which ran from the Cleveland hills through Stokesley, Hutton Rudby, Weary Bank and Leven bank up to Yarm.
Germany originally planned to invade Britain at Redcar and Saltburn, even though this was to be a diversionary attack, it was suspected that they would sweep down across the south side of the river Tees and possibly cross at Yarm as there is an old ford crossing. Both Yarm bridges were mind ready to blow up. The holes are still visible on the viaduct were they put the charges.
The local Home guard unit was part of the Middlesbrough Garrison and they carried out exercises, simulating German paratroopers dropping and trying to capture the key bridges along the River Tees which would have proceeded a German invasion.
There is still a number of Pill boxes still around as part of the defences. There is 1 outside Stokesley, 2 in Hutton Rudby, 1 at Weary Bank, 2 near Leven bank and the Egglescliffe one looking over the river, There is also a Loop Hole at Seamer. The others which no longer exist, 1 was facing up the Spittal and there was one on Worsall Road and a number of others located near Ingleby Mill Primary School
I have a photo of the Egglescliffe and Eaglescliffe Home Guard, they used Eaglescliffe Village Hall for there Drill and they Paraded at Preston park, the land were the Golf course is was use for practice.
Martin Jones
mjones4383@aol.com
One of my best friends and I, aged 8 or 9, ‘occupied’ this pillbox circa 1980, claiming it as our den. We even added a door and padlock 😉
There was a Pillbox on Worsall Road towards the allotments. Its Meadowings housing now.