War Trenches

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War Trenches

Postby helsinki » Mon Feb 23, 2004 12:04 pm

This may be of interest to those with a military interest. There is a large wood to the south of Nitshill road and adjacent to Patterton farm. As a boy we called it the Lost World as it seemed, at that time, so large and overgrown. Inside this wood are the remains of large concrete trenches of varying lengths from maybe 20 to 50 metres in length. About 20 years ago there was still running boards remaining inside these trenches along with ornamental tiles. There are about four or five if my memory serves me well. I think they were used for target practice between the wars.
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Postby Sharon » Mon Feb 23, 2004 6:14 pm

Sounds worthy of inspection. Why on earth would there be ornamental tiles in a training trench though? sounds odd!

So, the woods to find these in... are they to the south of the area romantic sounding name of "Jenny Lind" ? And if so on which side of the motorway! ??
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Postby helsinki » Mon Feb 23, 2004 7:49 pm

South of jenny Lind and to the right of the motorway if heading to the coast. The ornamental tiles were about 9inch by 9inch and there was one at each entrance to the trenches. In the same area just off Stewarton road, opposite of where the golf course abuts the road were the remains of various old brick and concrete huts which were of a similar construction to the various army camps and munitions stores scattered around Glasgow.
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War Trenches

Postby Alastair » Tue Feb 24, 2004 1:02 am

Hi Folks,
The brick and concrete huts on the Stewarton Road oppostie the golf course were a POW Camp for German prisoners during WW2.
Hope this helps.
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Postby Sharon » Sun Aug 15, 2004 10:01 pm

Well, it was a sunny day and being at a loose end me and crusty looked for something to do, and this was it.

After a bit of driving about, we got to Patterton and drove up the farm track which according to the OS map, we expected would lead us pretty much where we wanted to go. It did not. It led us to the jaws of a slavering monster. Not weaaring full body armour we quickly decided that this route was closed to us.

So time to improvise, adapt and overcome.


And choose a differnt route. So to Darnelymill we went, and after establishing that the new build next to the trees was in actual fact a fully caged in compouund, we opted for aiming for Scottish Water gorbals treatemnt works.

Then we walked. Disturbing a field of curiuos and nervous bullocks on the way.

After a brief hike up the hill (no stilletos if you are doing this boys) we got to where we thought we should take a look, and lo and behold.... A TRENCH! Just like we ahd hoped, just jutting out of the wood waiting for us. This one was realtively short, and laid full with fetid water. This was not a time for paddling. And i assured crusty that if he landed in it i would not be part of the rescue party!

With promises of 50 meter treches to discover it was time to enter the woods and start foraging. Now, there are good times of the year to do this...and there are bad. This time of year is the bad!! The woods are overgrown, and hawthorn and briars will tear at you with a dangerous level of bloodlusst!! So be warned.

Anyway, a quick step over a fence followed by a hop over a ditch sent us into this lost verdant world. We forged on and quickly realised that the entire hillside carried a shadowy verisimiltude of wartime endeavours. It was totally scarred with terraces and drainage courses.

A few meters in and we spotted what we hoped was a trench. Maybe the big one. We were not dissapointed. It was massive. High slightly sloping concrete walls plunged down to a soft mulchy flooring, the result of 60 years of leaves falling into it. But there ws no obvious way down. Did they use ladders we wondered? It wasnt possible to see the far end of the trech so we battle on - and i do not joke - the undergrowth here had both attitude and teeth. I wished i had had a machete to fight back with!!

50 meters, a few sctraches and much swearing later we appeared at the far end to discover to our joy that this was how to get into the thing. One foot inside the trench established squelchiness...i guess all the summer rain had to land somewhere...so we didnt venture far. But it was enough to appreciate the 10 foot walls and the sheer scale of the structure.

Now what I want to know is what these trenches looked like in use. Were the covered? What was up top? Did people sleep in them?????

For those interested in this stuff it is well worth a visit.

Crusty...get those photos posted boy!!
Last edited by Sharon on Sun Aug 15, 2004 10:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby Sharon » Sun Aug 15, 2004 10:03 pm

There was other weird stuff around here too... what looked like a manmade structure with loads of railway sleepers lying on it... and odd brick thing buttressed on a hill... all very odd. These maybe had nothing to do with the war thoug, as across the road is an area that has been mined...

Does anywone know this area???
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Postby Pgcc93 » Sun Aug 15, 2004 10:06 pm

Sharon wrote:
Crusty...get those photos posted boy!!


Yeah! hurry up Crusty I want to see a verisimiltude of pictures ::):
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Postby Sharon » Sun Aug 15, 2004 10:13 pm

right. outside now! :twisted:
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Postby Pgcc93 » Sun Aug 15, 2004 10:17 pm

Sharon wrote:right. outside now! :twisted:


Keys! ::):
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Postby crusty_bint » Sun Aug 15, 2004 10:26 pm

okay, heres the pics that turned out from the verisimiltude of pics that i took.... bet you had to look that up gman?

Image
Trench 1

Image
had water in it

Image

and the old gate

Image
trench 2... looong

Image

and overgrown

Crusty :D
here i go, it's coming for me through the trees
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Postby Pgcc93 » Sun Aug 15, 2004 10:41 pm

A return visit in the Autumn when the undergrowth has died back :?:
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Postby Sharon » Sun Aug 15, 2004 10:49 pm

I guess autumn isnt far away...and it would see mist of the undergroths teeth fall out...so probaly not a bad plan. It would also probaly afford a better view of the hill its self.
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Postby Sharon » Mon Aug 16, 2004 10:02 am

If anyone plans on taking a look at these....TAKE A TRIPOD!!

Its dark in them there woods.

All my photos were essentially....rubbish. But I am getting used to that just now... :roll:
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Postby johnnyanglia » Sat Jan 21, 2006 6:29 pm

A little off the line of enquiry..........Jenny Lind was a popular 19th century Swedish actress(no not that kind !). In this country the man who invented a machine for giving stone a polished finish named it after her !.
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Postby Azrael » Sat Jan 21, 2006 11:32 pm

Don' t think these look military. There's no firestep.
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