When the s##t really hits the fan

[gamekeeper752]

Down here in the south we have hundreds of old Pillboxes most being complete and sound,now bearing in mind that they are sighted in good positions allowing line of sight for defence (if your armed) and would allow some degree of shelter from the elements and attack.

how long would it take to get one up and running do you think bearing in mind many have local orders not to disturb them, cos of bats, so things would have to be really bad before moving in.

or what about building one in your garden rather than something well away from your house which would at least give you a real chance to survive.

[gowertony]

We are thinking along the same lines i have an old military ammo storage site close by it has been out of use since the 50s and has lots of well hidden bunkers
I have also been looking old industrial sites that are usually fenced off and derelict and hard to access because off overgrown vegetation
I know of an ancient mill that is not marked on maps it is totally derelict but it is well hidden and unknown to all but a few old locals, its miles from the nearest road and in acres of undeveloped woodland so at present this would be my first option as a BOL

[Plymtom]

Not a Bugger outer here but it is one of the better ideas, as ever getting there is the problem with enough stuff, we have a fair few fortifications around Plymouth ( most of which face out to sea) I have similar worries as I keep saying about getting home with gear I can't leave behind if the car ( well all transport) goes south whilst We're away.

I found a few floor plan images with a quick google http://www.yeovilhistory.info/images/pi ... 24plan.jpg to get in the spirit of the thread, got to say some look good in terms of shelter, so a cache nearby could be ideal if one could afford to risk it, having spent some time in the construction industry I know what buildings feel like with exposed openings feel like in crappy weather so a quick method of filling the holes is a must, you could even use poly-carbonate sheets held in place with timber sort of wedged rather than any other type of fixing, all could be buried nearby to put in place if the time comes, I'm usually very sceptical about bug out locations in the UK, yet by the same token either by design or shear desperation it's clear that if it ever comes to it people will look at places like this in this light, I have to admit it feels better than a bushcraft shelter, here you can roll up with your kit and make it usable fairly quickly.

[Citizen H]

Down here in the south we have hundreds of old Pillboxes most being complete and sound,now bearing in mind that they are sighted in good positions allowing line of sight for defence (if your armed) and would allow some degree of shelter from the elements and attack.

how long would it take to get one up and running do you think bearing in mind many have local orders not to disturb them, cos of bats, so things would have to be really bad before moving in.

or what about building one in your garden rather than something well away from your house which would at least give you a real chance to survive.

Hello gamekeeper752,

there could be a issue as far as im aware these are still owned by the government / MOD, there may also be a health issue due to asbestos.... we've touched upon trespass (which doesn't concern me) so I wont revisit that topic,........ just a thought,

Be Safe Citizen "H"

[preparedsurrey]

It would be worth having a good look at any you were considering using first. I had a bit of a thing about exploring them in my youth and a lot of them were barely accessible being either full of mud/ rubbish or sand and would have taken a fair while to clear to the state where they would be useable.
The ones that were clear were obviously 'used' on a fairly regular basis judging by the amount of beer tins and condoms.
Quite a few had been used as animal shelters and smelled a little.

[Deeps]

It would be worth having a good look at any you were considering using first. I had a bit of a thing about exploring them in my youth and a lot of them were barely accessible being either full of mud/ rubbish or sand and would have taken a fair while to clear to the state where they would be useable.
The ones that were clear were obviously 'used' on a fairly regular basis judging by the amount of beer tins and condoms.
Quite a few had been used as animal shelters and smelled a little.

It also depends on why you're bugging out from your home. Even if the the sh1t is hitting the fan it might be a localised thing. If it is a country/world wide thing then fair do's but there might be a lot of competition for these kind of places, guys who remember them from their youth. I'm not saying don't go for them, just that they might not be as secret as people think. We'll all have our natural preferences, whether to go for somewhere more defensible or somewhere more concealed or whatever. I remember a couple round the coast from where my parents stay. I kipped out in one when I was a teenager a few times. As has already been said, they aren't designed for 'modern living', or even comfortable 1940's living. There's no back door for a way out either so you'll need to have everything you need if you're looking to make it the Alamo. They might be handy in some situations but I'm not sure they're the be all and end all. Just my opinion of course.

[sethorly]

Wouldn't they all be pretty much freezing from wind coming in off the sea?

[Arzosah]

I've poked my nose into a few pillboxes - most recently this summer on the tidal edge of some National Trust land in Norfolk - even though they were meant to withstand some attack, they were never meant to last this long, and they're usually very dilapidated - bits of concrete have fallen off, door missing, they never had any windows just holes for weapons to stick through, and a *lot* of wildlife lives in them. They're also often flooded, not so much from the holes in the roof as from the ambient water

The ones I've seen, they're insecure, with very little protection from the elements. Doable for a night or two if you're trekking somewhere to be with family if everything goes to pot, but not otherwise, I don't think.

But looking at stuff like that certainly sparks ideas for the novel(s)

[grenfell]

I've poked my nose into a few pillboxes - most recently this summer on the tidal edge of some National Trust land in Norfolk :

Key point there is that you've seen a few rather than the odd one because generally pillboxes were built as part of a line which means there is likely to be another nearby to allow them to give covering fire to each other.
I'm in the midlands but we still have some left and there are some clearly in a line alongside the A38 towards Burton on Trent . I'm with you in regards to actually using them though , delapidated , cold , damp and not really suitable for anything longer than one uncomfortable night.

[yorkshirewolf]

The countrys covered on old MOD bunkers/pillboxes ROC posts, but most of them are in a pretty bad state and they're getting either filled in or bulldozed because of the 'urban explorers'

I've worked on a few farms so have been in a few of the old ROC posts, I've also spent some time exploring the old war structures in Normandy, and i can tell you that unless there is a complete breakdown of society/law/order/civilisation and the marauding gangs are going door-to-door then i'll be much happier, secure, comfortable and better equipped in my house.

Nearly all of the structures i went in were cold, damp, mouldy, urine-soaked, had a collection of used condoms/needles and were generally pretty grim, so there's no way i'd want to spend any time in a concrete box the MOD abandoned long ago - for good reason! Not when i can use a tent.


They are fun to explore though...

EDIT;

Anyone interested in the old war structures can have a look at subterranea brittanica http://www.subbrit.org.uk/