Cushat Knock pillbox and foxhole, Dunstanburgh. Photograph by Northumberland County Council, 1999.

NU 257215. Cushat Knock pillbox and foxhole. (1)

World War II pillbox and foxhole scheduled with Dunstanburgh Castle and its environs on 5th July 1994, national monument number 23231. It is important in the demonstration of the reuse of the site during World War II. (2)

A pillbox on heathland, facing inland to cover the approach up the narrow valley. It is made of concrete prefabricated panels bolted together. Both the pillbox and the foxhole here are scheduled with the castle. Surveyed during the Defence of Britain Project. (3)

Pillbox, adjacent weapons pits to either side and slit trenches sited to provide fields of fire in two directions so as to produce overlapping fields of fire areas with nearby defences to the southeast and northwest. The pillbox is of a square plan, pre-fabricated panels and built 1940 by the 1st Battalion Essex Regiment (then locally-based). The pillbox bears evidence of having been used for a target subject to rifle fire and explosives training. (4)

Surviving World War 2 pillbox recorded within a rapid survey of such structures win the AONB. The pillbox survives despite the practice damage that is evident on the exterior faces of the pillbox. The adjacent weapons pit is noted as a well-preserved earthwork alongside. (5)

This is a pre-fabricated type pillbox. (6)

Described in source (1) as being part of the scheduled monument associated with Dunstanburgh Castle [although this may be an error, the pillbox and foxhole so described [q.v.] lying within the Castle complex. (7a)

A Second World War pillbox and weapons pit are visible as a structure and earthwork on air photographs, centred at NU 2572 2153. Both features are still extant on the latest 1999 Ordnance Survey vertical photography. (7b)

NU 25703 21539
Between 2003 and 2005, English Heritage's Archaeological Survey and Investigation Team lead a multidisciplinary investigation of Dunstanburgh Castle and its environs, in Northumberland. In addition to a Level 3 analytical field survey at 1:1 000 scale covering 36 hectares, the project also comprised documentary research, rapid architectural investigation of the standing remains, environmental sampling of waterlogged ground outside the Scheduled area, and the gathering of oral testimony from local people. The earthwork survey was carried out using survey-grade GPS and extensive ground modelling was undertaken to answer various questions relating to water management. A study of Dunstanburgh's place in local folklore was undertaken by local resident Katrina Porteous, and incorporated into the final report. Geophysical survey was subsequently targeted at three areas to follow up specific questions raised by the field survey, and a separate report on this was produced. The project was undertaken in partnership with The National Trust, in order to inform conservation and management of the castle's environs through a Higher Level Stewardship scheme, and the re-presentation of the Guardianship area. It was carried out concurrently with an investigation of Craster radar station c.1km to the south, also undertaken by the Archaeological Survey and Investigation Team (Event record 1501045).

A Type FW3/22 Second World War pillbox and nearby heavy weapons pit survive as a structure and earthwork south of Dunstanburgh Castle. Several two-man slit-trenches also exist along the escarpment. All these covered a potential small landing beach at Nova Scotia, but were primarily intended to cover an anti-personnel minefield inland to the north-west (NU 22 SE 55). This represented the southern extreme of the anti-invasion defences relating to Embleton Bay. It was constructed in the period 1940-1 of prefabricated panels; oral testimony suggests that it was built by the 1st Battalion Essex Regiment. The structure is beginning to decay through deterioration of the steel reinforcing. It has also suffered, apparently as a result of a training exercise, from .303 rifle fire and an explosion (probably from a satchel charge), which has blown the face off the south-west embrasure.B).

A full report, part of the Research Department Report Series, is available from the NMR, reference RDRS 26/2006. (7c)

English Heritage, 'Dunstanburgh Castle' guidebook (7d)

To enhance the record, the following information was taken from NU 22 SE 8 (this record subsequently being deleted):

Recorded as a Type FW3/22 pillbox as part of the scheduled monument notification. (Scheduled Monument Notification; 5th July 1994)

Another pillbox and foxhole [q.v.] is also recorded further south, also, apparently, part of the Dunstanburgh Castle scheduled monument. (Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments; SC, 25th September 2006) (7)

General association with HER 31241, HER 23504 and HER 23505. (7)