Record Details
| NHER Number: | 38614 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Site of World War Two coastal defences and military training sites |
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Summary
An area of World War Two coastal defences and military training sites are visible along the coast at Upper Sheringham on aerial photographs. The site consists of a bank and possible gun emplacement and a stretch of barbed wire and a ditch or trench. The site also gets used for possible target training purposes towards the end of the war. These features incorporate the remains of a World War One firing butt (NHER 38617). These structures form part of an area of coastal defences at Weybourne (NHER 38577 to 38579, 32505 and 38615) and training sites associated with Weybourne Camp to the west (NHER 11335).
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TG 1326 4351 |
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| Map Sheet: | TG14SW |
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| Parish: | UPPER SHERINGHAM, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
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Full description
April 2004, Norfolk NMP
An area of World War Two coastal defences and military training sites are visible along the coast at Upper Sheringham on aerial photographs (S1-3). The site is centred on TG 1323 4350 and consists of a bank and possible gun emplacement and a stretch of barbed wire and a ditch or trench. The site also gets used for possible target training purposes towards the end of the war. These features incorporate the remains of a World War One firing butt (NHER 38617). These structures form part of an area of coastal defences at Weybourne (NHER 38577 to 38579, 32505, 38615) and training sites associated with Weybourne Camp to the west (NHER 11335).
In 1940 (S1) a bank can be seen to run from TG 1299 4357 to TG 1314 4356 and then it continues in a fragmentary form until TG 1324 4355. This bank is 3 to 4m wide. Set within the bank at TG 1312 4356 is a circular platform, approximately 12m across. It is possible that this formed some sort of gun emplacement or similar defensive position. This bank appears to get lost to coastal erosion soon after the war. Running from the eastern end of the bank is a track, this feature is quite indented and therefore must have been in constant or repetitive use. This track diverts around the World War One rifle butt and then continues east towards a section of ditch at TG 1360 4351 and another set of coastal defences (NHER 38615). A further indented track runs to this same location from the northern end of the rifle butt. These well-used tracks would imply that this area was used for some sort of training activity. By mid 1941 (S2) a section of barbed wire has been placed in front of the World War One firing butt. In 1946 (S3) the area appears to have been used for some sort of target training. Two loops of vehicle tracks are clearly visible, centred on TG 1299 4349 and TG 1332 4352. Linking these loops together is an incised narrow linear feature, which could relate to a track for a moving target or a similar training site.
S. Massey (NMP) 28 April 2004.
December 2004. Norfolk Rapid Coastal Zone Archaeological Survey.
Land-based survey; Area A30, Context 80:
An east-to-west aligned bank located on the cliff to between TG 13095 43570 and TG 13232 43552. Up to 5m wide and 1m tall, parts of it have disappeared in cliff falls.
See assessment report (S4) for further details.
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.421).
A. Cattermole (NLA), 6 December 2007. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 July 2019.
Monument Types
- BANK (EARTHWORK) (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
- BARBED WIRE OBSTRUCTION (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
- GUN EMPLACEMENT? (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
- MILITARY TRAINING SITE (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
- TARGET (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
Associated Finds - none
Protected Status - none
Sources and further reading
| <S1> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1940. RAF 268A/BR/183 10-11 17-DEC-1940 (NMR). |
| <S2> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1941. RAF S/330/1416 54-5 16-JUL-1941 (NMR). |
| <S3> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 106G/UK/1571 3175-6 07-JUN-1946 (Norfolk SMR TG 1342A-B). |
| <S4> | 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
| 41015 | Part of: Multi-period features and finds (Monument) |
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