Wartime relic is restored for future

A historic World War Two pillbox has been saved for future generations.

The building, on a Spalding housing estate, is a rare survivor of the pillboxes that once dotted the countryside.
It had been derelict, but a group of people got together and approached South Holland District Council and officers spoke with specialist renovator Dale Harrison.
Mr Harrison had worked with Ayscoughfee Hall for a number of years and the building took most of the council budget available.
Not to be deterred, he looked for a commercial sponsor to help and approached a local company.
“After being invited to a meeting with council members to discuss the restoration, it was clear the council had no current funds to restore it. This set my mind wondering and if I could get support from the community and I went to Gibbs and Dandy building material suppliers and spoke to Simon Parker the manager.
“He agreed to supply the bricks for the project and with that I got approval with me covering the cost of labour and other materials. It was just something I couldn’t let go.”
South Holland district councillor Elizabeth Sneath said: “Being involved with this project has been a special journey for us all and we are very grateful to our generous sponsors. Finalising the restoration so close to the Remembrance weekend is a stark reminder of how real the danger of invasion was to our country in 1940.”
Pillboxes were created as a reinforced guard post. There were around 28,000 around the country in 1940, but many have been lost.