Record Details
| NHER Number: | 26804 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | World War Two defensive earthworks |
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Summary
This site consists of a large group of defensive earthwork banks dating to World War Two and running along the Heacham coastline, which are visible on aerial photographs from 1944. The banks are constructed from material cleaned from the surrounding dykes and drains. Although this could be the result of normal maintenance of drains, the date of this activity in and around 1944, and the resulting large size of the banks, would suggest that they have been left to act as anti-tank obstructions. The original channels may also have been widened.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TF 66080 37208 |
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| Map Sheet: | TF63NE |
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| Parish: | HEACHAM, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
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| SNETTISHAM, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
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Full description
August 2002. Norfolk NMP.
This site consists of a large group of defensive earthwork banks dating to World War Two and running along the Heacham coastline, which are visible on aerial photographs (S1). The earthwork banks are visible following the major watercourses and ditches along the Heacham coastline. These appear to have been from the clearing out and possibly the widening of the drains into more substantial anti tank ditches and obstructions. Obviously this could be normal dyke maintenance, although the undertaking of this amount of labour during World War Two could indicate a military presence or at least military instigation. The widening of natural channels and existing dykes is known from other stretches of the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts. These banks and ditches would have acted as an additional line of coastal defence.
These vary in width from between 5m and 25m wide. [1]
(S1)
S. Massey (NMP), 22nd August 2002.
Monument Types
- BANK (EARTHWORK) (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
- TANK TRAP (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
Associated Finds - none
Protected Status
- Higher Level Stewardship
- SHINE
Sources and further reading
| <S1> | Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1944. RAF 106G/LA/67 3126, 3148, 4141 02-DEC-1944 (NMR). |
Related records - none
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