This building was originally built as a two storey stable building and was fortified in 1941-42.
In 1940, the directorate of Fortifications and Works (FW3) was set up at the War Office under the direction of Major-General G. B. O. Taylor. Its purpose was to provide a number of basic but effective pillbox designs that could be constructed by soldiers and local labour at appropriate defensive locations.
Existing thick walls and heavy buildings provided a ready-made alternative to a pillbox and many were converted to defensive positions by the simple expedient of adding embrasures to them.
This is a two story building built from red brick. The heritage interest covers two parts; the house itself and the loop-holed wall in the garden along the Burghfield Road. The gun embrasures on the house are still clearly visible on the Burghfield Road side with two at ground level and three on the upper floor wall. A further single embrasure exists on the upper floor on the wall facing South West.
The stables were probably chosen due to their tactical location as the embrasures covered the approach from the Burghfield Rd and across to the Kennet & Avon Canal. The loop-holed wall also covered the junction with Mill Road.
In 1994, the building underwent a significant extension on its South Western end and was converted to a four bedroom home. It is said that the original building had more gun embrasures but now only six appear to have survived (not including those in the loop-holed wall). Of note is that the original asbestos flame trap flaps over the embrasures appear to have survived. These would have given some protection from potential attack by enemy flamethrowers.
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