First World War Pillbox, Wayford Bridge

A pillbox constructed between 1916 and 1918.

MATERIALS: concrete block walls with cement mortar pointing and reinforced concrete roof slab with steel door and gun loop shutters.

PLAN: circular with a single internal space.

INTERIOR: a single open-plan space with un-rendered blockwork walls painted white. A single hole in the roof towards the east may have held a ventilation pipe. Metal sliding shutters survive on the interior of the gun loops.

EXTERIOR: the building is situated on the east side of Wayford Road, just to the north of the North Walsham and Dilham. The pillbox is circular with a low, narrow doorway on its south west face flanked by single gun loops facing towards the canal. The view from the western of these gun loops is restricted by the later maltings extension. A double leaf steel door survives in the doorway. Four further gun loops are on the north and north east faces with views along the road. The gun loops are formed by simple inward sloping splayed edges to the concrete blocks forming each side and longer blocks as lintels.