Bunker Buster

From Dave Brigham:

As regular readers know, my son began attending a new school about 30 minutes from home back in late August. This opened up new areas for me to explore, as I spent considerable time at the school during the several weeks it took him to become comfortable with his fellow students, teachers, administrators and the dogs who are regular visitors to the school.

Here are previous posts from Sudbury, Maynard, Stow, Harvard and Hudson:

November 8, 2015, "This Town Ain't Big Enough...."

November 30, 2015, "Walking Dead Tracks"

December 9, 2015, "Scenes From An Old Shoe Town"

December 17, "Bring Out Your Dead"

December 29, 2015, "Gravity Can Lift You Up").

One of the most fascinating places I explored is the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge, which spans the towns of Sudbury, Maynard, Stow and Hudson, about 20 miles west of Boston.

From 1942 to 2000, the refuge was a part of Fort Devens known as the Sudbury Training Annex. When I saw the words "ammunition bunkers" on the refuge web site, I knew I'd found my next destination (for more on the history of the land, from pre-Colonial times to the present, check out this PDF).

I had no idea how many bunkers were in the refuge, or exactly how or where to find them. I figured walking along the Patrol Road was a good start. I saw a few playful deer as I ventured along.

But I wasn't sure if I was heading in the right direction. After 10 minutes or so of walking along the road, I saw my first sign for a trail, so I took it. Just a few minutes later I found what I'd come for.

For the first dozen or so bunkers, I would say out loud, "Another one!" and then snap a bunch of pictures.

There are more than four dozen bunkers in the refuge, as it turns out.

I had a great time poking around and on top of many of the two dozen or so that I saw. None of them were accessible, although I saw photos somewhere online after my visit that showed some that were open.

After I satisfied by bunker jones, I walked across busy Hudson Road to a smaller section of the refuge. There are no bunkers in this area, as far as I can tell, but there are signs of the park's former use.