World War II pillbox in the grounds of the Telephone Exchange is a Grade II listed building in the Dorset local planning authority area, England. First listed on 12 November 2014. Pillbox. 1 related planning application.
World War II pillbox in the grounds of the Telephone Exchange
- WRENN ID
- rooted-bastion-khaki
- Grade
- II
- Local Planning Authority
- Dorset
- Constituency
- North Dorset MP: Simon Hoare (Con)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 12 November 2014
- Type
- Pillbox
- Address
- World War II pillbox in the grounds of the Telephone Exchange, Second World War Defence Structures: in the Grounds of the Telephone Exchange, Short's Lane, Blandford Forum
- OS grid reference
- ST 882 064
- Coordinates
- 50.85699, -2.16782
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
This is a partially-sunken Type 26 pillbox built between 1940 and 1941 as part of the Blandford Forum anti-tank island. It is located approximately 5 meters from its associated anti-tank ditch and wall, which runs to the north-east.
The pillbox is made of red brick and features a reinforced concrete roof with embrasures. It has a square plan. The exterior is mostly obscured due to its partial sinking and its position wedged between two mature trees. Gun holes are present on three sides, and it is likely that the entrance, now buried, is located on the south-east side, facing the town. The interior could not be inspected.
Local climate
World War II pillbox in the grounds of the Telephone Exchange receives an average of 810 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 52% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 63% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 25 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 73% of listed buildings. Of these, 10 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
More on this building
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- No EPC on record for this property
- No sale records on file
- Related listed building consents — 1 application
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
Matched applications, energy data and sale records are assembled automatically and may contain errors. Flag incorrect data.
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