Record Details

NHER Number:42233
Type of record:Monument
Name:Second World War road block and barbed wire obstruction

Summary

The site of a World War Two roadblock, consisting of concrete cubes and barbed wire, is visible on aerial photographs blocking Hall Road at Bunkers Hill, which runs across the Mill Water reservoirs at the eastern end of the Fritton Decoy. Similar roadblocks were constructed on the roads crossing the decoy and reservoirs to the west, Browston Lane (NHER 42240) and to the east, on the Blue Doors Loke (NHER 30907). All of these roadblocks are positioned along the parish boundaries, now the Norfolk/Suffolk border.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 50364 00613
Map Sheet:TG50SW
Parish:HOPTON ON SEA, GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK

Full description

December 2005. Norfolk NMP.
The site of a World War Two road block, consisting of concrete cubes and barbed wire, is visible on aerial photographs blocking Hall Road at Bunkers Hill, which runs across the Mill Water reservoirs at the eastern end of the Fritton Decoy (S1). This roadblock marks the parish boundary between Hopton-on-Sea and Lound and is centred on TG 5037 0051. The whole site, including the barbed wire to the north, is centred on TG 5035 0060. Similar roadblocks were constructed on the roads crossing the decoy and reservoirs to the west, Browston Lane (NHER 42240) and to the east, on the Blue Doors Loke (NHER 30907). All of these roadblocks are positioned along the parish boundaries, now the Norfolk/Suffolk border.

In July 1944 this defensive feature consists of two rows of concrete cubes. Markings on the road indicate that the blocks were recently blocking the road, although by the date of the photography, the majority of the cubes have been moved to the side of the road. Eleven of blocks remain at this date. In 1978 four cubes are still clearly visible to the east of the road, it is possible that the cubes to the west remain, but are obscured by vegetation (S2). To the north of this defensive position is an area enclosed by barbed wire. It is not clear whether this is merely to act as a further obstruction or whether some other military activity was formerly located within this area.
S. Massey (NMP), 19 December 2005.

Monument Types

  • BARBED WIRE OBSTRUCTION (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
  • ROADBLOCK (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
  • ROADBLOCK (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 106G/LA/21 4049-50 04-JUL-1944 (NMR).
<S2>Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1978. OS/78146 13-4 08-SEP-1978 (NMR).

Related records - none

Find out more...

Norfolk County Council logo Heritage Lottery Fund logo

Powered by HBSMR-web and the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd, and mojoPortal CMS
© 2007 - 2024 Norfolk Historic Environment Service