for posting two BBC magazine articles this morning. Both are really fascinating. The first is by picture editor Phil Coomes on the work of  Marc Wilson who has been photographing the remnants of the UK’s WWII coastal defence network. Titled ‘The Last Stand’, Wilson’s work has taken him through Dorset, Suffolk, Aberdeenshire and Moray to name but a few places, as well as across the Channel to Northern France and Belgium, with further shooting due in Orkney, Denmark and Western France. In his own words:

“This large body of work came out of a project I photographed about six years ago that included in its locations two of these coastal defences,” says Wilson. “From this my interest was sparked and further research into the subject matter in 2010 led me to realise the importance of producing this work, both as a document to the physical structures and their place in the shifting landscapes surrounding them, and as a stimulus for thought and reflection on the histories, and memories of these places.

“Underlying all of this, and shared by many others I am sure, are also my own connections to this period of history and its effects on individuals, families and whole cultures.”

There’s bound to be some work by geographers on these ghostly structures, and there is plenty of literature on France’s Maginot Line too. If anyone has anything particularly interesting on either I’d love to read it.

The photos above were taken by Marc Wilson in Loussiemouth, Moray, Scotland (left) and Portland, Dorset , England (right) both in 2011.