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Stuart
Foreman
Senior Project Manager
Oxford Archaeology (South)
Janus House
Osney Mead
Oxford
OX2 0ES
UK
Tel: 01865 263800
Fax: 01865 793496
The Oxford Archaeological Unit (OAU) was commissioned by Union Railways (South) Limited (URS) to undertake the archaeological recording of two pill boxes at Tutt Hill, Westwell Leacon, Kent (NGR: TQ 9725 4688 and TQ 9737 4677) in advance of the demolition of the structures prior to the construction of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL).
The two shuttered concrete structures were built as part of the World War II 1940 defence strategy protecting the country from invasion. They were specifically designed to protect the nearby Maidstone to London railway line. The buildings are examples of the ‘Type 24’ Pill Box. The six sided structures have one doorway, facing south-west, flanked by two windows. The remaining walls all have a central window providing all round visibility.
A brick baffle structure, protecting the doorway and dividing the internal space was largely intact in Pill Box A and had been removed from Pill Box B, but was visible in outline on the ceiling.