Monument record SLY 096 - A World War II earthwork, possibly a disguised pillbox, Shotley.

A World War II earthwork, possibly disguising a pillbox, is visible on aerial photographs from 1944 onwards, centered on TM24323496. The earthwork is on the north side of the road into Shotley Point, and located near one of two breaches in the defensive line of the anti tank ditch and barbed wire obstruction that crossed the peninsular in World War II (see SLY 069 & SLY 070). The exact function of the earthwork is not clear from the photographs, but the size and location of the earthwork suggest it had a defensive use; it is possible the earthwork covered a disguised pillbox or similar structure. This feature is one of a number of components that guarded two land routes onto Shotley Point, thereby controlling movement in the area of the naval base that covered much of the peninsular at this time (see SLY 094). (S1-S3)