{"id":1390,"date":"2009-03-02T22:41:57","date_gmt":"2009-03-02T22:41:57","guid":{"rendered":"\/soundmirrors\/?page_id=1390"},"modified":"2018-03-16T21:09:18","modified_gmt":"2018-03-16T21:09:18","slug":"cherry-cobb-sands-decoy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.andrewgrantham.co.uk\/soundmirrors\/other\/cherry-cobb-sands-decoy\/","title":{"rendered":"Cherry Cobb Sands decoy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nNot a sound mirror<\/a>, but also of interest, are these remains of a Second World War bombing decoy at Cherry Cobb Sands in Holderness, east of Kingston upon Hull in East Yorkshire. <\/p>\n

\nLamps would be hung from the wooden poles, with the light shining down onto artificial pools of water underneath. The pattern of lights would hopefully resemble Hull docks when viewed from a passing Luftwaffe<\/span> aircraft, and so trick the bomber crews into attacking empty mud flats and farmland safely away from the city.\n<\/p>\n

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\nThis pool is supposed to look like the lock gates of one of the Hull docks. It is smaller than the real thing, but when seen from above aircrew would assume they were at a greater altitude than expected. BP’s Saltend refinery can be seen in the distance.\n<\/p>\n

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\nThere is a low concrete wall around each pool.\n<\/p>\n

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\nAnother pole can be seen in the distance. It is quite hard to count the poles, given the extent of the decoy and the featureless landscape.\n<\/p>\n

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\nIt was hoped that bombs would be aimed at the decoy rather than Hull, and so would fall on Foulholme Sands or farmland.\n<\/p>\n

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\nPictures taken December 2003.\n<\/p>\n

Location<\/h2>\n

\nPerhaps unsurprisingly for something which was designed to attract enemy bombs, the decoy is in the middle of nowhere. If you really want to see it, you can park at Stone Creek (public transport is probably a lost cause!) and walk along the riverbank footpath.\n<\/p>\n

\nA rough grid reference is TA210220<\/a>, but the decoy is spread througout the wedge-shaped area between the river and the raised embankment along the riverside.\n<\/p>\n

If you are in the area, Spurn Head<\/a> and the Kilnsea sound mirror<\/a> are not too far away.\n<\/p>\n

Links<\/h2>\n