Bofors anti-aircraft gun towers

[REF]

@ Mike L - Thanks for that, very interesting to see.

@ OEB - That answers that one then! Much appreciated.

[Alec Beanse]

There used to be three towers along the Lea Navigation by the Royal Gunpowder Factory at Waltham Abbey. This is the sole survivor and is now enclosed by a substantial fence.

Lea-Bofors.jpg


Some more recent photos on top of the tower:

The Bofors Platform
Tower-Gun-Platform.jpg

Ammunition Hatches
Tower-Ammn-Hatches.jpg

The Lewis Gun platform
Tower-Holes.jpg

[Parabuteo]

I think that under current thinking a landowners refusal is as much to do with potential liability as trespass. I think that there have been cases of individuals - who trespassed without the landowners knowledge - sustaining injuries (fell down a hole etc) who have then sued the landowners.

Any person can enter a place if the landowners permit it. However, this does not necessarily make a permanent right of access, and unless they have dedicated a bit of land to be permanently open it is within the power of the landowner to ask any person to leave, assuming that person does not have some other lawful reason to be there. The landowner does not have to give a reason. If the person does not go immediately, by the shortest practical route, then they are trespassing. Despite the well known sign ‘trespassers will be prosecuted’, trespass is not a criminal offence and trespassers cannot usually be prosecuted. They can, however, be sued. There is little chance of such a matter ever being so serious as to be worth suing over, and so this rarely happens.

The above is an extract from an interpretation of the law of trespass.

It is only a criminal offence if aggravated Tresspass...Crim damage etc.

[Mike L]

Alec, nice photos of that tower. Do you know if it listed or on the DOB database?

[cptpies]

Alec, nice photos of that tower. Do you know if it listed or on the DOB database?

I don't think its on the DoB. There are pictures of it but they are incorrectly linked to another site and I've never tracked it down on Google earth.

Alec do you have a grid ref for it?

[P Bellamy]

You appear to have it listed as AA Searchlight Tower EDOBID:e09920

[cptpies]

That will explain it then . The misidentification comes from the NMR. I'll change it in the edob database.

[Alec Beanse]

The Bofors Tower is here: http://tinyurl.com/bqp9z5w I don't know about statutory protection but it does now have physical protection from a substantial fence around it. There is a pillbox near by: http://tinyurl.com/c5szaz3.

Some confusion has resulted in this structure: http://tinyurl.com/c2esuzm also being identified as a Bofors Tower. In my opinion it's connected with the gravel extraction that went on in the area pre & post war.

[tigger]

The Bofors Tower is here: http://tinyurl.com/bqp9z5w I don't know about statutory protection

It was 'scheduled' rather than 'listed' in 2004

http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/...px?uid=1021000

[PETERTHEEATER]

The last structure is located on the site of what is described as 'Stone crushing machine' on a 1914 OS Map 2500 scale.