I've long wondered what this lump of concrete is doing lying near a seaside
car park in Ayr.

http://s1052.photobucket.com/albums/...er_media_share

It's about 18-20 ft long, about a foot square and has a metal tip at one
end. The other end is flat.

It also has two metal loops cast into it that look link attachment points
for lifting.

My guess is that it's some sort of heavy duty demolition tool but why it
should have been abandoned there (20 years at least) is a mystery to me.
It's next to a field that may have had a POW camp in WWII but I don't think
that there have been any solid defensive structures in the area.

Tim

On 22/12/2012 14:33, Tim+ wrote:
I've long wondered what this lump of concrete is doing lying near a seaside
car park in Ayr.

http://s1052.photobucket.com/albums/...er_media_share

It's about 18-20 ft long, about a foot square and has a metal tip at one
end. The other end is flat.

It also has two metal loops cast into it that look link attachment points
for lifting.

My guess is that it's some sort of heavy duty demolition tool but why it
should have been abandoned there (20 years at least) is a mystery to me.
It's next to a field that may have had a POW camp in WWII but I don't think
that there have been any solid defensive structures in the area.

Tim


Looks to me like something to prevent cars driving around (say) a
security gateway. Doesn't explain the difference between the two ends.
Sometimes these concrete lumps are designed to "key" together.

On 22/12/2012 14:33, Tim+ wrote:
I've long wondered what this lump of concrete is doing lying near a seaside
car park in Ayr.

http://s1052.photobucket.com/albums/...er_media_share

It's about 18-20 ft long, about a foot square and has a metal tip at one
end. The other end is flat.

It also has two metal loops cast into it that look link attachment points
for lifting.

My guess is that it's some sort of heavy duty demolition tool but why it
should have been abandoned there (20 years at least) is a mystery to me.
It's next to a field that may have had a POW camp in WWII but I don't think
that there have been any solid defensive structures in the area.

Tim

It's exactly the same as a medieval battering ram.

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

The Medway Handyman wrote:
On 22/12/2012 14:33, Tim+ wrote:
I've long wondered what this lump of concrete is doing lying near a seaside
car park in Ayr.

http://s1052.photobucket.com/albums/...er_media_share

It's about 18-20 ft long, about a foot square and has a metal tip at one
end. The other end is flat.

It also has two metal loops cast into it that look link attachment points
for lifting.

My guess is that it's some sort of heavy duty demolition tool but why it
should have been abandoned there (20 years at least) is a mystery to me.
It's next to a field that may have had a POW camp in WWII but I don't think
that there have been any solid defensive structures in the area.

Tim

It's exactly the same as a medieval battering ram.


That's my thought too, although clearly it's been updated with a bit of
steel and concrete. It turns our the POW camp was about 400 yards away so
that's possibly a red herring. I think that there are a couple more like
that one in the long grass nearby. Can't imagine why they've been
abandoned there other than to be "recycled" as barriers for the perimeter
of the car park.

Tim

In message
405499357377890968.790656timdownie2003-nospampleaseyahoo.co.uk@reader80.
eternal-september.org, Tim+
writes
The Medway Handyman wrote:
On 22/12/2012 14:33, Tim+ wrote:
I've long wondered what this lump of concrete is doing lying near a seaside
car park in Ayr.


http://s1052.photobucket.com/albums/...tion=view¤t=70
C44B7A-6E67-4C0B-A188-15AEB5EC1B6D-10967-00000C3E10F1ED30.jpg&evt=user
_media_share

It's about 18-20 ft long, about a foot square and has a metal tip at one
end. The other end is flat.

It also has two metal loops cast into it that look link attachment points
for lifting.

My guess is that it's some sort of heavy duty demolition tool but why it
should have been abandoned there (20 years at least) is a mystery to me.
It's next to a field that may have had a POW camp in WWII but I don't think
that there have been any solid defensive structures in the area.

Tim

It's exactly the same as a medieval battering ram.


That's my thought too, although clearly it's been updated with a bit of
steel and concrete. It turns our the POW camp was about 400 yards away so
that's possibly a red herring. I think that there are a couple more like
that one in the long grass nearby. Can't imagine why they've been
abandoned there other than to be "recycled" as barriers for the perimeter
of the car park.

The shape is reminiscent of sea defence posts but I doubt concrete would
take much insertion battering.

--
Tim Lamb

On 22/12/2012 14:33, Tim+ wrote:
I've long wondered what this lump of concrete is doing lying near a seaside
car park in Ayr.

http://s1052.photobucket.com/albums/...er_media_share

It's about 18-20 ft long, about a foot square and has a metal tip at one
end. The other end is flat.

It also has two metal loops cast into it that look link attachment points
for lifting.

My guess is that it's some sort of heavy duty demolition tool but why it
should have been abandoned there (20 years at least) is a mystery to me.
It's next to a field that may have had a POW camp in WWII but I don't think
that there have been any solid defensive structures in the area.

Tim

Nothing to do with the explosives factory/ies in the area?

--
Rod

Left over from an early, perhaps failed, attempt at concrete pile
driving?

On Sat, 22 Dec 2012 14:33:27 +0000 (UTC), Tim+
wrote:

I've long wondered what this lump of concrete is doing lying near a seaside
car park in Ayr.
--
================================================== =======
Please always reply to ng as the email in this post's
header does not exist. Or use a contact address at:
http://www.macfh.co.uk/JavaJive/JavaJive.html
http://www.macfh.co.uk/Macfarlane/Macfarlane.html

Java Jive wrote:
Left over from an early, perhaps failed, attempt at concrete pile
driving?

On Sat, 22 Dec 2012 14:33:27 +0000 (UTC), Tim+
wrote:

I've long wondered what this lump of concrete is doing lying near a seaside
car park in Ayr.

Don't think so. If it was to be driven, the point would surely have just
one angle.

The more I think about it the more convinced I am that it's an old
demolition tool that's been superceded by newer hydraulic hammers, hence
its abandonment and recycling as a car park boundary barrier.

Tim

On Sat, 22 Dec 2012 14:33:27 +0000 (UTC), Tim+ wrote:

I've long wondered what this lump of concrete is doing lying near a
seaside
car park in Ayr.


http://s1052.photobucket.com/albums/...n=view¤t=70C4
4B7A-6E67-4C0B-A188-15AEB5EC1B6D-10967-00000C3E10F1ED30.jpg&evt=user_medi
a_share

Can you post the image to a site that actually works? Browers can display
most still images without third party help or loads of bells and whistles
"to enhance your web experience". I've tried it with/without javascript
but it's broken either way.

Just post a link direct to the image file.

--
Cheers
Dave.

"Dave Liquorice" wrote:
On Sat, 22 Dec 2012 14:33:27 +0000 (UTC), Tim+ wrote:

I've long wondered what this lump of concrete is doing lying near a
seaside
car park in Ayr.


http://s1052.photobucket.com/albums/...n=view¤tpC4
4B7A-6E67-4C0B-A188-15AEB5EC1B6D-10967-00000C3E10F1ED30.jpg&evt=user_medi
a_share

Can you post the image to a site that actually works?

Seemed to work for others.

Browers can display
most still images without third party help or loads of bells and whistles
"to enhance your web experience". I've tried it with/without javascript
but it's broken either way.

Just post a link direct to the image file.

Try this:

http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/...3E10F1ED30.jpg

Tim

On Sun, 23 Dec 2012 07:53:31 +0000, Tim+ wrote:

Seemed to work for others.

They probably have modern browsers with lots of plugins available....

Just post a link direct to the image file.

Try this:

http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/...ieuk/70C44B7A-
6E67-4C0B-A188-15AEB5EC1B6D-10967-00000C3E10F1ED30.jpg

Ta, that works. B-)

It looks like the iron tip is surrounded by the concrete where it flares
out. That wouldn't survive much pounding as a demolition spike, so I
don't think it's that. I quite like idea of field denial to aircraft.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 22 Dec,
Tim+ wrote:

I've long wondered what this lump of concrete is doing lying near a seaside
car park in Ayr.

http://s1052.photobucket.com/albums/...er_media_share

It's about 18-20 ft long, about a foot square and has a metal tip at one
end. The other end is flat.

It also has two metal loops cast into it that look link attachment points
for lifting.

My guess is that it's some sort of heavy duty demolition tool but why it
should have been abandoned there (20 years at least) is a mystery to me.
It's next to a field that may have had a POW camp in WWII but I don't think
that there have been any solid defensive structures in the area.

Looks like the poles my father showed me in the 50s that were erected in
fields to deter the enemy in WWII from using them for landing sites. The ones
he showed me were close to a POW camp which was there one day and then
vanished without a trace in no time at all.

--
B Thumbs
Change lycos to yahoo to reply

On 23/12/2012 00:18, wrote:
On 22 Dec,
Tim+ wrote:

I've long wondered what this lump of concrete is doing lying near a seaside
car park in Ayr.

http://s1052.photobucket.com/albums/...er_media_share

It's about 18-20 ft long, about a foot square and has a metal tip at one
end. The other end is flat.

It also has two metal loops cast into it that look link attachment points
for lifting.

My guess is that it's some sort of heavy duty demolition tool but why it
should have been abandoned there (20 years at least) is a mystery to me.
It's next to a field that may have had a POW camp in WWII but I don't think
that there have been any solid defensive structures in the area.

Looks like the poles my father showed me in the 50s that were erected in
fields to deter the enemy in WWII from using them for landing sites. The ones
he showed me were close to a POW camp which was there one day and then
vanished without a trace in no time at all.

Not knowing the size it simply looks like a concrete post to me.

--
Remember the early bird may catch the worm but the second mouse gets the
cheese.

On 23/12/2012 11:47, Broadback wrote:
On 23/12/2012 00:18, wrote:
On 22 Dec,
Tim+ wrote:

I've long wondered what this lump of concrete is doing lying near a
seaside
car park in Ayr.

http://s1052.photobucket.com/albums/...er_media_share


It's about 18-20 ft long, about a foot square and has a metal tip at one
end. The other end is flat.

It also has two metal loops cast into it that look link attachment
points
for lifting.

My guess is that it's some sort of heavy duty demolition tool but why it
should have been abandoned there (20 years at least) is a mystery to me.
It's next to a field that may have had a POW camp in WWII but I don't
think
that there have been any solid defensive structures in the area.

Looks like the poles my father showed me in the 50s that were erected in
fields to deter the enemy in WWII from using them for landing sites.
The ones
he showed me were close to a POW camp which was there one day and then
vanished without a trace in no time at all.

Not knowing the size it simply looks like a concrete post to me.


"It's about 18-20 ft long, about a foot square".

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

On Dec 22, 2:33*pm, Tim+ wrote:
I've long wondered what this lump of concrete is doing lying near a seaside
car park in Ayr.

http://s1052.photobucket.com/albums/....jpg&evt=user_ media_share

It's about 18-20 ft long, about a foot square and has a metal tip at one
end. The other end is flat.

It also has two metal loops cast into it that look link attachment points
for lifting.

My guess is that it's some sort of heavy duty demolition tool but why it
should have been abandoned there (20 years at least) is a mystery to me.
It's next to a field that may have had a POW camp in WWII but I don't think
that there have been any solid defensive structures in the area.

Tim

A pile is my guess. To be driven into the ground as part of sea
defences.

On Sat, 22 Dec 2012 14:33:27 +0000 (UTC), Tim+
wrote:

My guess is that it's some sort of heavy duty demolition tool but why it
should have been abandoned there (20 years at least) is a mystery to me.
It's next to a field that may have had a POW camp in WWII but I don't think
that there have been any solid defensive structures in the area.

There were plenty of arms dumps and explosive workshops in the area,
though; might be something that was stocked there in preparation for
export to Normandy, Berlin, etc.

Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:
On Sat, 22 Dec 2012 14:33:27 +0000 (UTC), Tim+
wrote:

My guess is that it's some sort of heavy duty demolition tool but why it
should have been abandoned there (20 years at least) is a mystery to me.
It's next to a field that may have had a POW camp in WWII but I don't think
that there have been any solid defensive structures in the area.

There were plenty of arms dumps and explosive workshops in the area,
though; might be something that was stocked there in preparation for
export to Normandy, Berlin, etc.

I've had a look around the area and found another two lurking in the long
grass which more or less rules out a demolition tool. It's looking more
like they might well have been some sort of beach defence against a land
invasion although Doonfoot in Ayr seems an odd target. I guess the local
POW camp was considered to make it a potential target.

Tim

On Thu, 27 Dec 2012 07:42:42 +0000, Tim+
wrote:

I've had a look around the area and found another two lurking in the long
grass which more or less rules out a demolition tool. It's looking more
like they might well have been some sort of beach defence against a land
invasion although Doonfoot in Ayr seems an odd target. I guess the local
POW camp was considered to make it a potential target.

Just about the entire coastline was fortified to greater or lesser
degree - millions of mines and barbed wire entanglements; it took
years for the post-war cleanup and the lives lost weren't few.
I wonder if those things orignally had a purpose that we'll never
know, but were used in the PoW camp as some sort of exercise lift,
with bars put through the hoops and lifted by six or eight men.

Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:
On Thu, 27 Dec 2012 07:42:42 +0000, Tim+
wrote:

I've had a look around the area and found another two lurking in the long
grass which more or less rules out a demolition tool. It's looking more
like they might well have been some sort of beach defence against a land
invasion although Doonfoot in Ayr seems an odd target. I guess the local
POW camp was considered to make it a potential target.

Just about the entire coastline was fortified to greater or lesser
degree - millions of mines and barbed wire entanglements; it took
years for the post-war cleanup and the lives lost weren't few.
I wonder if those things orignally had a purpose that we'll never
know, but were used in the PoW camp as some sort of exercise lift,
with bars put through the hoops and lifted by six or eight men.

You could be right. I did a google image search for WW2 beach defences and
couldn't find anything similar to those structures.

Tim