Pillbox 314, Golden Hill Road [1937- ]

Submitted by Rob on Wed, 04/17/2013 - 17:44
Current condition
Ruin
Date completed

Year completed is: Approximate
Condition at last visit: Intact
Date of last visit: Feb-1995
Ref: ROB-00564
Other: Slight damage

Tags

Photos that show this Place

PB 314.jpeg
1997
P_20200302_PB314_interior.jpg
2020
IMG_3947.jpg
2020
See more photos of this place

Comments

I couldn't find this one.

It is shown to be close to a trail. Walking a bit up that trail until reaching a dam in the stream (start of the catchwater) I found an overgrown but surfaced trail heading in the direction of where the pillbox should be, followed that, it ended at a small concreted flat area.

From there I just bushwhacked through the dense vegetation to <7m from the coordinates indicated in this node, in a few different attempts. No trace of the pillbox though.

How accurate are those coordinates, anyway?

Message from Rob, and a request for better coordinates if anyone visits with a good GPS:

For PB 314, an alternate approach is from Golden Hill Road. Above the road level, on the PB side of the road, and approximately below the PB, is a marker stone with PB 314 and an arrow. Heading in that direction should bring you to the front of the PB, if you can get through the vegetation. The PB can be accessed through the loopholes with difficulty. It cannot be entered from the entry tunnel as it has collapsed. 

As to the accuracy of the co-ordinates: you might note that most of the dates of my recording are early to mid 1990's, well before the advent of personal GPS as we know them in phones and cameras now. I used map grids from the HK 1:5000 series by standing on the PB and aligning myself with the world. When I started this project on Gwulo, I used those grids in the web transformation tool, producing the Lat and Long figures shown. In the cases of no longer existing PB's, I did have some grids from maps used by the Army at the time the PB's were built. Unfortunately these had to be converted first into modern grids, then to Lat and Long. The probability of error expands with the number of conversions, so they are not perfect. I will be happy to correct any errors if forwarded.

Good to see a photo of this PB - thanks for uploading. If possible, please could you let me know the coordinates as decimal lat / lon, and I'll update the position of the marker. The current values are 22.359638, 114.150001

To be honest I am still questioning about the exact location of 314. I found this structure at the hillside next to the Golden Hill Rd. The approximate decimal coordinates are 22.360425 , 114.150059. However, the location of this structure is different from the direction as the GDL slab mentioned. Next time I will follow the arrow on the direction slab and go to the current marker to observe whether there is something that I have missed before.

My record on cellphone for the captioned is 50QKK0649275510

It's located on a knoll beside the Golden Hill Rd, with the entrance on its west near the junction of a path and a catchwater.

Perhaps if the accuracy of coordinates is not that exact, then with the description of some features, the type of terrain and the direction the pillbox is on that terrain, it may help while looking for such.

I have repositioned PB 314 based on the two sets of coordinates given. This places it further along Golden Road than my original estimate. Apologies to those who have blundered through the vegetation unnecessarily.

Like to try another way? This is the way I originally found it in 1993.

Starting from Tai Po Road, follow Golden Hill Road. At a position (roughly) 22.332172 114.141187, there is/was a rough track on the left side of the road. It is roughly 100 m before you get to the Marker for PB 314. Follow the track, which basically parallels Golden Hill Road, for (again roughly) 150 m. The path continues in the same direction, but there is/was an off shoot track on the right, which parallels the first path, but slightly higher on the hillside. Follow that and you should find the entrance to the tunnel to 314. It is only open a short distance and then is blocked. Go above the entrance and follow the collapsed parts of the tunnel on the hillside. You should eventually end up on top of the PB.

Hi Rob

I see your point. That means the arrow on the slab is actually pointing towards the entrance to the PB instead of the PB itself

In all probability. The tunnel is quite long, and the entrance at a guess 75m or more from the PB, so it would be reasonable to point to where you can get in. I didn't find the marker until some years after I had found the PB. There was no path near the marker at that stage.

Thanks to the GPS coordinates and the HK Hiking map app, I was able to find PB 314. The GDL slab sent me off in the wrong direction!

Easy way to find it: next to the slab is a flight of stairs. Go up them and turn right, keeping on the concrete. You'll see a red hiking ribbon - start going up the slope from there, more red ribbons marking the way. You'll soon get to the loopholes.