HMP Bullwood Hall
H.M.P. Bullwood Hall was a former women’s prison in Hockley, built in the 1960’s initially as a women’s borstal. The site was opened to house …
Canvey’s Last & Lost Pillboxes
In the early Second World War – being 1939 or 1940, a total of nine pillboxes, along with other defences and bunkers, were built across …
WT Henley’s Air Raid Shelters
The history of ‘Henley’s’ dates back to 1837 when WT Henley opened a worksop in London, manufacturing covered wires, and went on to become one …
Thorney Bay Coastal Defence Batteries
Canvey Island was a fairly quiet area in the 1930s, so when it became heavily militarised to defend against air, land, and sea on the …
Fort Amherst
Beyond the Point has been fortunate enough to get a special tour around Fort Amherst, situated in Chatham, back in 2017. With thanks to our …
Shoebury Searchlights & Pillbox
East along from Shoebury’s Gunners Park where the old ranges were, along the seawall by the Garrison, lies several WWII coastal defences built to protect …
Shoebury Old Ranges – Gunners Park
The ranges at Shoeburyness have a long ever-changing history, from the 1840s until present day. The ‘old ranges’, now Gunners’ Park near the Garrison, were …
Shoebury Powder Magazines & Viking Camp
At the eastern end of Gunners Park; the site of the old Shoebury ranges, lie the area’s two oldest ancient and modern military installations. These …
Kynoch Explosives Factory, Coryton
We visited these structural remains in 2018 and 2020 . The first visit consisted of an initial exploration with photography to identify if these remains …
New Empire Theatre, Southend
The New Empire theatre had what might initially appear to be an Art Deco-style frontage. However, it was in fact built in a vaguely Neo-Classical …