On the outskirts of Hungerford in West Berkshire there are two pill boxes which unusually are to be found side by side

They are adjacent to the railway line that runs between London and the West Country and both overlook the Kennet and Avon Canal

Today they are crumbling a little but are an integral part of the rural landscape on the edge of the common

But it was not always like this as these pill boxes will constructed with a specific purpose in mind

That was to counter the threat of invasion from the Nazi’s which for a period early in the war was expected at any time

It had been decreed that the canal would be used as a line of defence should an invasion have taken place

The guns mounted in these two boxes had clear and precise orders

These were to destroy two local bridges in a effort to hinder the invasion

The ancient canal bridges in Hungerford and at Mill Lock were the chosen targets

Happily the invasion did not take place for as well as losing the bridges the whole of Hungerford would have been laid to waste

Today I travelled along the canal in a leisurely fashion observing both the creatures and the life of the canal at close quarters

The trees above the boat moved with little effort in the breeze and every so often a silent train passed by without much fuss

I thought about the bridges so thankfully spared and the peace that had returned without disturbance

On the table in front of me lay a book of poems by Andrew Marvell which had been a gift from my wife

I had not had occasion to read any of his poems during our voyage

As my thoughts had been elsewhere for much of the day

 

 

 Hungerford Sunday August 18th 2019