Record Details
| NHER Number: | 18076 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | World War Two defences |
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Summary
The ruins of a World War Two or post war three-storey military building is visible on the beach and as a structure on 1953 RAF oblique images.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TF 7507 4506 |
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| Map Sheet: | TF74NE |
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| Parish: | TITCHWELL, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
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Full description
Gun emplacement. World War Two.
Massive ruins now below high water mark on beach. Concrete, constructed around iron rod frame, with large amount bricks stamped 'Central, Whittlesea'. To east of this, beach is covered with iron plates and large quantities of iron rods, within large rectangles formed by land drain-like objects of pottery with separate flat bases. Floors or buildings?
(S1) in file.
This area was a tank training ground.
E. Rose (NAU), 22 April 1982.
April 2002. Norfolk NMP. (NGR amended from TF 7505 4506).
The structure is possibly not a gun emplacement. The building is not clearly visible on the 1946 RAF vertical images (S2) and may actually be post war, as the area was also utilised as a military bombing range from 1950 to 1959. The structure may be a control/observation tower or command building for the range. There is a bombing range marker (NHER 26784) visible to the immediate southwest in 1952.
There was a range control tower associated with the 1950s activity, which was demolished on 18th January 1962. The location of this building is not known, but it may be the structure recorded at this location. There was defensive scaffold along this stretch of coastline during World War II and the iron rods in the vicinity may be the remnants of part of this feature. See NHER 26713.
M. Brennand (NMP), 26 April 2002.
May-November 2004. Norfolk Rapid Coastal Zone Archaeological Survey.
Inter-tidal survey (Environmental Zone 7), Context 620.
Located 30m north of the edge of the saltmarsh, partly embedded in beach sand, covering an area measuring 20m by 25m centred on TF 75076 45064.
The concrete and brick ruins of a military building, possibly of an observation post.
The ruins could be Second World War or post war in date.
Context 566 (NHER 41446), may be associated with this site.
See assessment report (S3) for further details.
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.421).
J. Allen (NLA), 14 April 2005. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 20 July 2019.
Monument Types
- GUN EMPLACEMENT (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
- MILITARY BUILDING (World War Two to Mid 20th Century - 1939 AD to 1962 AD)
- MILITARY TRAINING SITE (World War Two to Cold War - 1939 AD to 1992 AD)
- OBSERVATION POST (World War Two to Cold War - 1939 AD to 1992 AD)
Associated Finds - none
Protected Status - none
Sources and further reading
| --- | Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1953. RAF N258/1010 0113 05-FEB-1953 (SMR TF 7545C). |
| --- | Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. |
| --- | Secondary File: Secondary File. |
| <S1> | Photograph: BZK 5. |
| <S2> | Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 106G/UK/1571 3011 07-JUN-1946 (SMR TF 7444A). |
| <S3> | Unpublished Contractor Report: Robertson, D., Crawley, P., Barker, A., and Whitmore, S. 2005. Norfolk Rapid Coastal Zone Archaeological Survey. Assessment Report and Updated Project Design. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 1045. |
Related records - none
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