Record Details

NHER Number:27412
Type of record:Monument
Name:Site of World War Two rail block

Summary

A World War Two rail block is visible as a group of what are probably concrete sockets, set between the lines and sleepers of a railway (now destroyed) on 1940s aerial photographs. In the event of an invasion vertical and bent rails would have been placed into the sockets in order to impede enemy vehicles such as tanks. Roadblocks of a similar design have been noted elsewhere at Great Yarmouth (e.g. NHER 34557).

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 5205 0861
Map Sheet:TG50NW
Parish:GREAT YARMOUTH, GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK

Full description

July 2005. Norfolk NMP.
A World War Two railblock is visible as a group of concrete sockets on aerial photographs (S1) and (S2), centred at TG 5205 0862. It lay on the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway (east to west line) (NHER 13581), on a section which has since been destroyed. The lines of sockets would have held anti tank obstacles in the form of bent and vertical rails or 'pins', (S3).
S. Tremlett (NMP), 18 July 2005.

Monument Types

  • ANTI TANK HAIRPIN? (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
  • ANTI TANK VERTICAL RAIL? (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
  • RAILBLOCK (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
  • TANK TRAP (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

<S1>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1944. RAF HLA/698 4054-5 08-APR-1944 (NMR).
<S2>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1945. RAF 106G/UK/726 5132-3 26-AUG-1945 (NMR).
<S3>Serial: Dobinson, C.S.. 1996. Twentieth Century Fortifications in England. Volume II. Anti-Invasion Defences of WWII.. Vol 2. pp 153-4.

Related records

13581Part of: Route of Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway (Great Yarmouth to Sutton Bridge) (Monument)
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