The table below lists the anti-invasion defences originally planned for the county of Cumberland as mapped on August 12 1940, and includes amendments drawn up on June 7 1941. They would be manned by platoons of the Home-Guard. All HG battalions in Cumberland (and Westmorland) were later affiliated to the Border Regiment, and the boundaries and areas covered by each battalion are detailed on this map.
Excluded from this list are coastal defences, aerodrome defences, military installations, and moveable road-barriers within the city of Carlisle.
The seven types of defences considered in August 1940 are outlined below:
The table is divided into sections headed by the nearest town or village, with the LH column giving the approximate NGR (as transposed from a 1:126720 map to a 1:25000 map), and the RH column a description and relevant comments.
The information given here does not imply in any way that the structures described are still present, if, indeed they ever were. This page has been collated from County archive records and anecdotal evidence. Fieldwork is ongoing. All information is presented in good faith. Grid references and locations are taken from a 0.5 Inch to the mile map and transferred to modern 1:25,000 maps by compass, ruler and proportion using fixed recognisable points, hence NGR's listed below may be slightly out.
On June 7th 1941, the plans for defending the county against invasion were revised and certified correct by the same Colonel who certified the 1940 plans. (whose signature I've yet to decypher!) He was the Commander, Sub-Area (Carlisle). The revisions are listed where appropriate on the table on this page, and defences planned afresh in 1941 are listed on a seperate table. Note that there are no knife-edge barriers mentioned. Anecdotal evidence thus far suggests that none of these were ever fitted into place, and what may have seemed a good idea in the dark days of 1940 might have been subject to pragmatic re-evaluation a year hence.
Many of the anti-tank road-blocks were to be sited at the same strategic points previously planned to be occupied by knife-edge barriers. Rather tellingly, an anecdote by a member of the Armathwaite Home-Guard suggests that (many) road-blocks would be put in place if needed, given that he was instructed - by an officer from another platoon - to chop down a particular tree to fall across the road if the signal for an invasion was given. The revised defences were reclassified thus:
| NY699 485 | Alston | On the A689 Brampton road at Whitlow, adjacent to bridge over Gilderdale Burn. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement, Sealed-Up, June 7 1941. |
| NY506 464 | Armathwaite | Guarding the River Eden. Emplacement sited in what is now the car-park of 'The Duke's Head' public-house. The bridge was also fitted with demolition charges. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement with an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| SD115 869 | Bootle | On the A596 at Holegill, about 1 Mile south of Bootle. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement, Sealed-Up, June 7 1941. |
| NY511 625 | Brampton | On the Longtown road, near Irthing bridge. Went to look for this in autumn 2001, but couldn't find it. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement with an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY492 602 | Brampton | Ruleholme bridge, over the River Irthing. On the B6264 near Crosby-on-Eden aerodrome. Went to look for this in autumn 2001, but couldn't find it. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement with an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY569 619 | Brampton | On A69 at Scarrow Hill, E. end of town. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement, Sealed-Up, June 7 1941.Demolished, possibly when railway bridge modified. |
| NY063 296 | Broughton Cross | On old A597 between Bridgefoot and Brigham. My Father remembers it as a "chicane" set into the road, forcing vehicles to come almost to a standstill. Anecdotal evidence suggests that a nearby road culvert was mined. This was towards Broughton Cross, at NGR NY069 300 Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement, Sealed-Up, June 7 1941. |
| NY352 518 | Cardewlees | On A595 main road W. out of Carlisle. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement, Sealed-Up, June 7 1941. Couldn't find anything in March 2002, but did find type 22 pill-box about 3/4 mile down the Dalston road at Barras. This was one of three pill-boxes, apparently, which stood above the main Workington - Carlisle railway line. The other two were demolished; one on the rail -bridge, and a rectangular one in a field. One was removed under orders from a vicar, who declared it "too militaristic". The surviving pill-box is not on my web-site, as it is now a well-established private garden shed! In the adjacent Sowerby Wood was an emergency water supply, possibly for the nearby Civil Defence training establishment (now the Highways Department). |
| NY403 530 | Carlisle | Blackwell, near the "White Ox" public - house. No sign of anything there now. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement with an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY432 525 | Carlisle | Carleton, on A6. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement with an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941 Demolished. |
| NY395 592 | Carlisle | Kingstown, at the junction of the A7 and A74. No sign of anything; probably demolished. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement, June 7 1941. |
| NY095 392 | Crosby Villa | Overlooking 90° bend on the A596. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement, Sealed-Up, June 7 1941. |
| NY079 446 | Dubmill Point | on B5300 between Maryport and Allonby. Demolished. |
| NY067 034 | Holmrook | Two in close proximity: Junction of A595 and B5344 Drigg road. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement with an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941., and guarding the bridge over the river Irt near Gubbergill. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement, Sealed-Up, June 7 1941. |
| NY550 404 | Lazonby | Overgrown gun-pit; still there. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement with an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY079 345 | Linefoot | On A594 between Maryport and Cockermouth. No evidence of anything there now. Local farmer can't remember anything. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement, Sealed-Up, June 7 1941. |
| NY476 581 | Newby East | Covering road-bridge over River Gelt. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement with an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY490 400 | Plumpton | On A6 between Carlisle and Penrith. Demolished. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement, Sealed-Up, June 7 1941.Was in the road-dip just south of the DEFRA site at Merrythought (ex-POW camp). |
| NY312 245 | Threlkeld | On old A594 at Threlkeld Bridge. Couldn't find anything in November 2001. According to an Area Commander's map, this road-block was to be "Hotted up with cylinders", although the June 1941 plan makes no reference to cylinder-type barriers. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement with an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY085 240 | Ullock | Covering narrow road over a beck on the A5086 Cockermouth - Egremont road. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement, Sealed-Up, June 7 1941. |
| NY467 565 | Warwick bridge | Covering River Eden bridge on the A69. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement with an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY375 689 | Longtown | Road junction at the bridge over the river Esk, A6071 Lockerbie road and A7 main Langholm road. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement, Sealed-Up, June 7 1941. |
| NY419 661 | Longtown | Brampton road, Near East cliff and the River Lyne crossing. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement and Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY357 650 | Metal Bridge | At River Esk crossing on the old A74. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement with an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY395 646 | Westlinton | Near bridge over the River Lyne on the A7. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement with an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY163 508 | Abbeytown | Railway bridge and road junction, where the Pelutho road leaves the B5302 Silloth road at the 90° bend W. of Abbeytown. |
| NY475 830 | Kershopefoot | Near river and railway bridge (Liddell Water and Newcastleton branch). Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Rifle Emplacement, June 7 1941. |
| NY486 829 | Kershopefoot | Near road between Kershopefoot and Kershope Bridge. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Rifle Emplacement, June 7 1941. |
| NY504 833 | Kershopefoot | A/T and M/G emplacement only; Kershope Bridge. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement, Sealed-Up, June 7 1941. |
| NY433 771 | Shieling Moss | Near Penton House and the nearby railway bridge. Reclassified as aMachine-Gun Emplacement with an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY144 568 | Skinburness | Unique concrete-filled sandbag pill-box on the end of Grune Point. Classification kept as a Machine-Gun Emplacement, June 7 1941. |
| NY566 331 | Edenhall | Concrete revetted bunker disguised as agricultural building. Possibly A/T measures on old bridge, which was washed away in 1968. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement and an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY718 461 | Alston | On the A686 at the River S. Tyne bridge, Penrith road. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY539 291 | Brougham | On the (old) A66 where it crosses the River Eamont near Brougham Castle. Reclassified as a Rail-Obstruction, June 7 1941. |
| NY632 417 | Hartside | At the top of Hartside, near the Renwick road. |
| NY970 244 | Pooley Bridge | On road bridge over river Eamont. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
These were mobile devices, and the evidence to date suggests far fewer were actually in place than were planned for. See also Workington's planned defences against Tanks on the Defence of Workington page.
| NY142 409 | Aspatria | Just south of the railway bridge on the Arkleby road. |
| NY151 419 | Aspatria | Rail bridge, East end of town on the Harriston road. |
| NY152 420 | Aspatria | Road junction, A596 and B5299 Brayton road. |
| NY146 423 | Aspatria | Road junction, N. side of town, on the Westnewton road. |
| NY139 416 | Aspatria | Road junction, A596 and Hayton road, W. end of town. |
| NY526 610 | Brampton | Road junction, A69 Carlisle road and B6264 Low Crosby road. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY530 606 | Brampton | Road in from Capontree House. |
| NY534 609 | Brampton | Road in from Castle Carrock. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement, June 7 1941. Three Anti-Tank Traps in close proximity. |
| NY535 612 | Brampton | Road junction, A69 to Newcastle and B6292 (now the A689) Alston road. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY529 614 | Brampton | Oakwood. |
| NY526 612 | Brampton | A6071, near school. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY014 132 | Cleator Moor | Cleator, Ehenhall. Narrow road section. |
| NY027 145 | Cleator Moor | Wath Brow. Road junction A5086 and Ennerdale road. |
| NY029 147 | Cleator Moor | Road junction on A5086. |
| NY019 151 | Cleator Moor | Road junction, B5295 Whitehaven road and Cleator road. |
| NY017 152 | Cleator Moor | Rail bridge on B5295 Whitehaven road. |
| NY034 171 | Cleator Moor | Frizington. Road junction A5086 and Weddicar road. |
| NY059 186 | Cleator Moor | Rowrah. 90° bend on A5086 and Asby road. |
| NY114 307 | Cockermouth | Railway bridge, on old A595 Cockermouth - Workington road. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY118 303 | Cockermouth | 90° bend in A5086 Lamplugh road near railway station. |
| NY126 302 | Cockermouth | Railway bridge on B5292 Lorton road. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY129 308 | Cockermouth | Minor road into town from East, below Wyndham caravan park. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY124 309 | Cockermouth | Road junction, Castlegate (old A594) and Isel road. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY114 312 | Cockermouth | A594 between Cockermouth and Papcastle. |
| NY117 308 | Cockermouth | A594 N. Side of Gote bridge. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY012 243 | Distington | A595, outside High Duty Alloys. |
| NY010 244 | Distington | B5296 Distington - Harrington road, where Lillyhall school is. |
| NX999 241 | Distington | Charity lane end on Harrington - Lowca road. |
| NY009 105 | Egremont | Road bifurcation, outside Egremont castle. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY014 101 | Egremont | Railway bridge and road junction, A595 at S. end of town. |
| NY007 116 | Egremont | Road junction, A595 and A5086 Cleator Moor road. |
| NY011 111 | Egremont | Road junction and railway bridge, Briscoe road. |
| NY271 231 | Keswick | Keswick town, heading out towards Chestnut Hill. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY318 188 | Keswick | Road junction, A591 and St. Johns-in-the-vale turning. |
| NY251 240 | Keswick | River bridge over Derwent on A594 (now the B5289). Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY264 243 | Keswick | Gt. Crosthwaite. Railway bridge on A591 Castle inn road. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY274 237 | Keswick | Railway bridge near "Twa dogs" public house. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY322 254 | Keswick | Threlkeld, east of village on old A594. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY203 552 | Kirkbride | Newton Arlosh, E. of village on Kirkbride road. |
| NY224 553 | Kirkbride | Just outside Aerodrome on Newton Arlosh road. |
| NY230 560 | Kirkbride | S. end of Kirkbride village, Townhead farm. |
| NY238 540 | Kirkbride | Kirkbride - Wigton road, Mossend. |
| NY373 689 | Longtown | A6071 Longtown - Lockerbie road. |
| NY373 692 | Longtown | A7 Lockerbie - Canonbie road, Sandbed. |
| NY380 690 | Longtown | Scourbank. |
| NY383 688 | Longtown | Highmoorhead road. |
| NY384 685 | Longtown | Hospital road. |
| NY383 684 | Longtown | A6071 Brampton road. |
| NY380 684 | Longtown | Road junction, A7 to Carlisle and Fauld road. |
| NY027 350 | Maryport | Risehow. A596 Maryport - Workington road. |
| NY035 359 | Maryport | Grasslot. Road junction A596 and Broughton moor road. Reclassified as a Browning-Gun Emplacement, June 7 1941. Suspected Alan-Williams Turret (steel pill-box) |
| NY040 360 | Maryport | Netherton. |
| NY044 363 | Maryport | Railway bridge, A594 Cockermouth road. |
| NY047 371 | Maryport | Road junction, A596 Aspatria road and B5300 Allonby road. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY048 384 | Maryport | Bank End, near track by the old rifle-range. |
| SD164 802 | Millom | Road junction, A5093 and Haverigg road at W. end of town. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| SD175 809 | Millom | A5093 on the N. road out of town towards Broughton-in-Furness. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| SD165 792 | Millom | On the E. haverigg road, just outside Haverigg. |
| SD155 790 | Millom | On the W. Haverigg road, near aerodrome (now the prison). Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY523 309 | Penrith | Beacon Edge, just E. of Fell lane. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY514 312 | Penrith | Beacon Edge, between Salkeld road and Graham street. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY511 311 | Penrith | Townhead, on A6. Junction of A6, Fair-Hill and Salkeld roads. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY504 301 | Penrith | Castletown. Road junction old B5305 and Greystoke road B5288 (old A594). Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY503 285 | Penrith | Redhills, possibly at railway bridge. |
| NY530 297 | Penrith | Between Barco House and Carleton. A686 Langwathby road. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| Penrith | South end of town on Victoria Road. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. | |
| NX971 113 | St. Bees | Road junction, B5345 and minor road. |
| NX972 116 | St. Bees | Egremont road, Outrigg. |
| NX971 119 | St. Bees | Road junction near level-crossing, B5345. |
| NX970 121 | St. Bees | As above, but S. side of level-crossing. |
| NX974 119 | St. Bees | High House. |
| SD064 991 | Seascale | Drigg. Road junction, B5344. |
| NY052 003 | Seascale | B5344 |
| NY038 017 | Seascale | B5344 near railway station. |
| NY044 005 | Seascale | Railway bridge, B5344. |
| NY067 034 | Seascale | Gosforth. Road junction, Gosforth road and A595. |
| NY070 035 | Seascale | Gosforth. Village centre, road junction. |
| NY127 529 | Silloth | Causewayhead - Black Dyke road. |
| NY139 537 | Silloth | B5302 Meadow Lodge, near Calvo. |
| NY128 558 | Silloth | Skinburness - Hartlaw road. |
| NY114 539 | Silloth | B5302 just leaving Silloth, by the school. |
| NY112 527 | Silloth | B5300, on the Silloth side of the 90° bend N. of Blitterlees. |
| NY125 529 | Silloth | Railway bridge, Blitterlees - Causewayhead road. |
| NX986 167 | Whitehaven | Hensingham. Road junction, A595 and Moresby Parks road. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NX969 174 | Whitehaven | Kells, Arrowthwaite. |
| NX972 179 | Whitehaven | Near Preston street on B5345 St. Bees road. |
| NX985 185 | Whitehaven | Low Harras, Harras Moor road. |
| NX979 187 | Whitehaven | Road bridge on loop-road, Sunny Hill. |
| NX979 199 | Whitehaven | Road Junction, Bransty toll-bar. Reclassified as an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY256 479 | Wigton | Road junction, B5305 low Highmoor road and Longthwaite road. |
| NY260 487 | Wigton | Road junction, A596 and Kirkland road, E. end of town. |
| NY253 489 | Wigton | Road junction and railway bridge, near railway station. Oulton and waverbridge roads. |
| NY251 488 | Wigton | River bridge (Wiza) on A596, W. end of town. |
| NX991 267 | Workington | Railway bridge, near Moss Bay reservoir. Shown on the June 1941 map as nearer Salterbeck, but anecdotal evidence suggests otherwise.Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement with an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NY014 261 | Workington | Road junction, A596 and Scaw road. |
| NY013 273 | Workington | Castle Gardens toll-bar, A596. Reclassified as a Machine-Gun Emplacement with an Anti-Tank Trap, June 7 1941. |
| NX989 270 | Workington | Railway bridge on steel-works, between offices and rail-bank. |
| NY003 314 | Workington | Siddick. N. end, on A596 near lowca lane. |
| NY012 299 | Workington | Seaton. Between Hawk Hill and Seaton village. |
| NY027 293 | Workington | Stainburn. Old A597 near Stainburn Hall. |
| NY024 285 | Workington | Stainburn. On road out to Winscales. |
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