An aerial photograph taken in April 1946 shows the clear image of a substantial road barrier across the Chapel Road/New Road junction. At its northern end, a three-row band of anti-tank pimples is anchored to the W side of No. 99 Chapel Road. Four rows of anti-tank pimples cross New Road to the corner. A row of anti-tank cubes, perhaps eight, then runs W along the boundary of the corner garden to the front of No.97. At this point, four rows of anti-tank sockets cross Chapel Road to the S side. TL 9027 1607 - TL 9026 1603.<1>

Contemporary records list no fewer than four entries covering the length of this barrier. “Road Barrier. Nr. Congregational Chapel. Map ref. 349345” (Mil.Ed.), “14 concrete pimples. Garden of ‘Woodlands’, Chapel Road”, “8 concrete pimples and sockets. Garden of 12, Paternoster Row, Chapel Road” and “7 concrete pimples and sockets. Garden of Tiptree Villa, Chapel Road”. Unfortunately, house names have now been dropped and it has not been possible to match up the current house numbers with the documentary entries.<2>

However, one element of the barrier still survives. It can be seen on the aerial photograph that two rows of anti-tank sockets crossed Chapel Road directly outside No.97. It is now clear that they were laid, in fact, right across the pavement and hardstanding (which may well have been a lawn at the time) and up to the front of the house as their “footprints” are still there. The original steel sockets into which lengths of railway line were dropped were formed by digging a roughly 2-foot square hole, placing the 8-inch square socket in the centre, with its steel lid, and filling around the socket with concrete. At some point since World War Two it appears that the lids have been removed from those in the garden of No.97 and the sockets filled with concrete. As this is a different colour and texture from the surrounding concrete the imprint of seven anti-tank sockets, staggered in two rows, is plain to see. The 1945 photo of the Maldon Road/Station Road barrier (SMR 21118/MCC5490) gives a clear impression of the visual effect still extant at No.97 Chapel Road.

See also <3> & <4>.