Summary

Road Barrier (destroyed)

Full description

The W arm of Baddow Road from the Army and Navy roundabout was sealed by a road barrier from J. Gard and Sons, on the S side, across the carriageway to a drainage ditch which paralleled the road on the N side.

Most road barriers comprised a removable element across the actual carriageway (usually with a “socket and railway line” type) with fixed obstacles on each side of the road to houses, woods or perhaps a river. In this case, the faint socket markets can be made out on low-level 1947 aerial photographs, across the roadway. Flanking these, on the forecourt of J. Gard and Sons, No. 136, are a number of anti-tank pimples. Contemporary records state, “Concrete pimples. 136 Baddow Road. Map ref. 108/161247”. (Mil. Ed.). The owner/address is given as J. Gard and Sons. On the N side of the road it is probable that the drainage ditch was widened to act as the anti-tank barrier.

Nothing of these defences now survives. <1> <2> <3>

<1> unknown, 1968, War Time Contraventions 1968, Chelmsford (LIST). SEX31436.

<2> RAF, 1947, CPE-UK 2029-6060, April 1947 (AP). SEX65508.

<3> RAF, 1947, CPE-UK 2221-5361, August 1947 (AP). SEX65509.

Monument Types

• ROAD BARRIER (WWII, Modern - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Associated Events

• Visit by Fred Nash - Jan 2005 (Ref: Nash CHL Jan 2005)

Protected Status

• Historic Environment Character Zone: Chelmsford 4.2
• Historic Environment Character Area: Chelmsford 4

Sources and further reading

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.