Record Details
| NHER Number: | 42447 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | World War One practice trenches on Winterton Dunes |
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Summary
Military practice or slit trenches, probably dating to World War One, are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs dating from 1940 onwards. They have also been identified on the ground. Their layout, which includes lengths with a ‘crenellated’ pattern, is typical of practice trenches from that period. A site visit in 2013 confirmed that at least some elements of the site still survive as earthworks.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TG 4930 2052 |
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| Map Sheet: | TG42SE |
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| Parish: | WINTERTON ON SEA, GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK |
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Full description
January 2006. Norfolk NMP.
A group of practice or slit trenches is visible on aerial photographs (S1)-(S4), centred at TG 4931 2053. The trenches were no longer fresh earthworks in 1940 (S1), by which time they had been partially overlain by a World War Two minefield (part of NHER 42447). The northeast trench (visible between TG 4932 2055 and TG 4933 2052) may also have been fully or partially backfilled by that time. Their distinctive layout, which includes lengths of ‘crenellated’ trench, is comparable to practice trenches of World War One date, such as those in Penally, Pembrokeshire (S5). They may be associated with a probably contemporary firing range 280m to their northwest (NHER 42440).
Recent aerial photographs (S4) and a site visit on 1 January 2006 established that parts of the trench system still survive as substantial earthworks.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 24 January 2006.
Site visit 19 November 2013.
Well-defined earthworks as described above still extant amongst the dunes, with grass and heather cover. Around 0.5m deep in places. See digital photos.
On Winterton Dunes, managed by Natural England.
D. Gurney (HES), 21 November 2013.
The Winterton trenches are interesting as they were probably dug as a training exercise but would have served as anti-invasion defences, as these were maintained throughout the First World War (S6).
D. Gurney (HES), 11 June 2014.
Monument Types
- PRACTICE TRENCH (World War One - 1914 AD to 1918 AD)
- SLIT TRENCH (World War One - 1914 AD to 1918 AD)
- TRENCH (World War One - 1914 AD to 1918 AD)
Associated Finds - none
Protected Status
Sources and further reading
| <S1> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1940. RAF 2A/BR190 (V) 61 18-AUG-1940 (NMR). |
| <S2> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1972. OS/72053 218-9 23-MAR-1972. |
| <S3> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1989. OS/89035 002-3 18-MAR-1989. |
| <S4> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: Environment Agency. 2002. EA 041 AF/02C/339 7015-6 22-JUL-2002 (EA). |
| <S5> | Monograph: Brown, I. & Lowry, B. (eds.). 1996. 20th century defences in Britain: an introductory guide.. Fig 5 (b). |
| <S6> | Correspondence: Mike Osborne. 2014. via email. 2014. |
Related records - none
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