Bid to restore and repurpose rare wartime pillbox |
And a new bid is now being made to restore and repurpose a rare wartime pillbox.
The pillbox which is located at Mights Bridge in Reydon, near Southwold is a rare surviving defensive structure that is believed to have been constructed around 1914.
A previous campaign in 2014 to get the First World War pillbox in Reydon restored.
Designed to protect the crossing between Reydon and Southwold and defend the surrounding area from a potential German invasion it was used during the First World War, and in the Second World War.
With many similar structures from the 1914-1918 period removed or replaced during the Second World War, First World War pillboxes are much rarer, with experts believing fewer than 100 still stand across the country.
The pillbox serves as a poignant local reminder of the efforts made to defend the Suffolk coast during both world wars - but its sorry state means it is virtually invisible from the road.
Bid to raise funds to restore a rare World War One Pillbox in Reydon. (Image: Reydon Parish Council)
As thousands of Second World War pillboxes remain in Britain, a new effort has been launched to restore and repurpose this First World War pillbox into a ‘Living History’ exhibit in the heart of the community.
Standing dilapidated, neglected and covered by undergrowth several efforts have been made to restore the site over the years and preserve it as a wartime landmark.
A previous campaign in 2014 to get the First World War pillbox in Reydon restored. (Image: Newsquest)
But these have all failed, mainly over ownership of the land and funding.
Now Reydon Parish Council, and its established WW1 Pillbox Working Group, is overseeing management of the project.
The community is being urged to rally behind a GoFundMe page, set up by the parish council, as it hopes the pillbox will become the centrepiece of a new historical trail around the coastal shores and marshes, with plans for a walkway and display boards for schoolchildren to study.
Entitled 'WW1 Pillbox Restoration' it was launched a few days ago and aims to raise £5,500.
It said: "We are raising funds to restore and repurpose a rare, dilapidated World War One Pillbox into a ‘Living History’ exhibit in the heart of the local community, to remind everyone about the very real threat of enemy invasion in those World Wars."
Pledge support via https://www.gofundme.com/f/ww1-pillbox-restoration