Pillbox at Brampton Road

Pillbox, 1940-41.

MATERIALS: local red sandstone and red brick; concrete roof and resting shelf.

PLAN: irregular plan of three straight facets with a curvilinear south and east face.

EXTERIOR: situated on an elevated site in the corner of Barn Close garden at the junction of Well Lane and Brampton Road. It faces south-east towards the exit from Rickerby Park and the River Eden below. It is of non-standard form with a flat roof that retains its roof-top camouflage vegetation. The curvilinear south-east face is constructed of red sandstone blocks with a string course, to match the garden wall to either side, but standing taller; it has three square embrasures. At the north-east corner there is a tall entrance with a wooden boarded door, and a stone threshold and lintel. This door gives access to a set of concealed steps with flanking brick walls that lead up to the rear entrance. The remaining faces are of red brick construction in a variant English Garden Wall bond. The thick rear wall retains a tree-trunk scar, and has an entrance at its western end: this has an angled left jamb and is fitted with a metal, barred door. A protective brick blast wall projects northwards to the right side of the entrance.

INTERIOR: the roof is of shuttered concrete and all walls are unpainted; the three embrasures are visible as splayed horizontal slits. The south-east stone constructed face is strengthened by the addition of a structure comprising nine courses of concrete sand bags; its location immediately below a pair of embrasures indicates that it also served as a resting shelf for small arms.