Pillbox 029, Tai Tam Bay near American Club [1939- ]
Primary tabs
Submitted by Craig on Fri, 2009-10-23 11:32
Current condition:
Ruin
Date Place completed:
1939-01-01
More details & photos of how it looks today here.
The only mention of the pillbox in Tony Banham's 'Not the slightest chance' is for 10am on 19th December 1941:
B Company Middlesex is ordered to retire to Stanley. The order is initially disbelieved, and then confirmed. PBs 21, 22, 29, and 30 are ordered to evacuate. A fresh HQ is established near PB 24 at Stanley, and the crews of 21 and 22 under Second Lieutenant King, are put into positions astride No 1 Bungalow. The crews of 29 and 30 are put in temporary positions near the new HQ, and the crew of 23 moves back to a position on the beach.
Photos that show this place
 1970 |
 1983 |
 2009 |
Comments
Notes
Year completed is: Approximate
Condition at last visit: Intact
Date of last visit: May-1996
Ref: ROB-00630
Other:
New visit to the site 2019
How to get to the Pillbox
Dear Derek,
Just wondering how to access this pillbox as I have gone looking for it multiple times but haven't seen a clear route. I have tried using the steps to the right of Pacific View to no avail.
Many thanks,
Aidan
Is that the one you can only get to by boat?
By boat ?
Re: How to get to the Pillbox
Maybe try the slope next to the clubhouse of Pacific View?
Down to the beach and then walk along the shore line?
Just wondering whether there are cliffs so maybe needa swim over the cliffs
Coordinates
Found a pillbox somewhat below LL029, relatively closer to the sea ... it looks like the one seen in the pictures posted lately, but not sure if it's the same as the one shown in 2009.
My coordinates:
22.2267691, 114.2181698
Access to PB 29
Hi Aidan,
I found it wasn't possible to access PB 29 on foot via the shoreline rocks on both sides, so ended up walking along the cliffs as far as I could then swimming a short distance. That was a few years ago, but I presume the situation is still the same. At that time you could rent canoes from Stanley Main Beach, which would be another option if it is still possible to do so.
New route to access PB29 & LL29
Go down to the beach next to Pacific View. Go up the stairs near the end of the beach. There is a path towards PB29 & LL29 via the edge of the American Club.
You took the stairs below
ck89,
1: So you took the stairs below Pacific View or the one at the west side of the stony beach?
2: Have you checked what's there at the bottom of the stairs extending down to the seaside, off the tennis court and the one off the swimming pool of the American Club?
3: I have come across many keys hanging on the wall near the door of the PB, can't figure out what they are for.
1. West side of the beach (i
1. West side of the beach (i.e. near the end of the beach)
2. I have searched the shore thoroughly. The stairs off the tennis court is heading down back to the beach and there is a steep slope right before you reach the beach. The other stair off the swimming pool is heading down to the shore and there is a red brick structure at the shore.
3. Me neither lol
1: How far does those steps
1: How far does those steps take you, any chance up to the white-wash ruin at the north-east outer corner of the tennis court?
2: As for the stairs off the swimming pool, is there a small footbridge stretching out to a reef?
https://www.map.gov.hk/gm/geo:22.2279,114.2185?z=1128
1. Yes, it's easy to reach
1. Yes, it's easy to reach the white ruined structure as the path is quite clear now. It's also visible form the beach too.
2. Yes, there is a footbridge at the shore but I'm not sure that whether the footbridge is intact or not.
I saw hikers there the other day.
I saw hikers there the other day. They came from the Stanley side and left that way too but I lost sight of them so they may have backtrack toward Pacific view.
There's a set of stairs between 12 and 18 Tai Tam Road. At the bottom of the stairs there's a rope that helps you up and down the last steep bit to the rocks. I was by myself so I didn't keep going along the rocks.
Yup there is also a stair
Yup there is also a stair going down from 12 Tai Tam Rd and heading towards PB29 if you follow the shoreline. There is also a red-brick structure below block 5 of Tai Tam Crescent. However, you will encounter a trench before you reach PB29.
My friend said he kept moving along the edge of American Club, Rosecliff, and Tai Tam Crescent. Finally he was able to reach the stair that I mentioned above.
annelisec,
annelisec,
Will take a look down the stairs you mentioned if ever I have the chance.
ck89,
I also took a similar route as your pal's. The steps to PB029 was soggy with water from a stream found between the two properties uphill. It's a bit stinky and warm, similar to that stream beside Pacific View, ugh.
I also just found out that one of my friends ventured out to the small bridge linking the reef. There's a red brick hut on the shore. He didn't let us know his discovery when we met again at PB029, that's why I haven't gone down the steps on our way back, will surely pay a visit next time.
it's not worth going, nothing
it's not worth going, nothing special. dangerous steep slope with no walking paths. better view somewhere else
Red brick structure
The Red Brick structure below block 5 of Tai Tam Crescent on the way to Pillbox 29 is still there.
There is a writing of 'A.R F.' marked on the concrete surface on the coastal line below block 4. I remembered there is a similar red brick structure at one of the historic 'R.F.' near Lung Ha Wan as well. Is it related structure? Any idea of the abbreviation 'A.R.F.' stands for?
This PB is below LL029, but
This PB is below LL029, but the marker on the map of this page seems to be far from it, which has been pinned by the eastern side of the pebble beach below Palm Villa.
There's a stone shed by the cliff, but it doesn't look like a PB.
I've raised my doubt before but nothing's been done.
I've updated the marker's
I've updated the marker's coordinates from 22.227321, 114.21855 to the 22.2267691, 114.2181698 given by H Lo.