Contemporary records state “Concrete Cubes. The Quay. Map ref: 486397”. (Mil. Ed.) <1>

There are two entries for concrete cubes on The Quay at Wivenhoe, identical except for different ownerships, and two sets can be seen on 1946 aerial photographs. Those covered by this record stood on the quay immediately S of Bethany St as a clump of five, three on the W side of a hard and two on the E side, these two seemingly larger than the two on the W side.

It is probable that they were positioned here, with a cable or steel rails across the hard, to block enemy armour crossing the river and using the hard as an access point.<2>

Visited in 2007, two of these cubes appear to survive although this survival is not straight-forward. They stand on the quay-side some 20 feet apart, the easternmost 4 feet square, the westernmost 4’ 6” square. This latter has a winch mounted onto the top. Both stand 21 inches proud of the quayside. However, the westernmost at least cannot be original. It does not appear on either the 1946 aerial photograph or 1960. Similarly, the easternmost, although close to, but not in the same position as those seen on 1946 aerial photographs, cannot be made out on 1960 photos. It therefore appears likely that either both have been moved here or, more probably, that they are not in fact World War Two survivors but were constructed here post-1960.<3> Two photos of site.<4>

See also <5> & <6>.