Record Details
| NHER Number: | 34407 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Site of probable World War Two searchlight battery |
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Summary
A group of three World War Two circular earthworks are visible on aerial photographs taken in 1943 and 1946. The site was probably a searchlight battery and/or an anti aircraft battery. Later aerial photographs indicate that by March 1952 the site had been levelled by ploughing.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TG 2928 3708 |
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| Map Sheet: | TG23NE |
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| Parish: | GIMINGHAM, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
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Full description
July 1946. RAF aerial photography.
At least three embanked circular structures of varying sizes. Probably two searchlights and gun emplacement, but no obvious control room so could all be gun positions.
B. Cushion (NLA), 22 April 1999.
December 2004. Norfolk NMP.
The World War Two searchlight and/or anti-aircraft battery described above is visible as a group of earthworks on aerial photographs (S1 to S2), centred at approximately TG 2928 3708. It is visible as three embanked and ditched emplacements, which are more or less circular in plan and measure between 15m and 26m across. By 1946 the actual guns and/or searchlights had been removed. As mentioned above, no obviously associated structures, such as a generator hut, are visible on the 1946 aerial photographs (S1). Unfortunately the 1943 photograph (S2) is not clear enough to tell if any such structures once existed. There are possible structures or other features at TG 2935 3716, TG 2913 3713 and TG 2929 3701. These, however, lie at some distance from the site and could equally be agricultural in origin, for example, stacks. It seems most likely that, like the searchlights and guns, any associated structures had been removed by 1946. Disturbed ground visible at TG 2931 3707 may mark the removal of such a structure.
The site is located slightly less than 1km inland of the modern coastline, on the inland edge of the coastal strip, which was heavily defended during the war. It is one of several military installations to have been identified in the area; another possible searchlight and anti aircraft battery has been mapped 5km to the northwest (NHER 38795), while the larger anti aircraft battery at Paston (NHER 39109) lies approximately 3km to the southeast. Later aerial photographs indicate that the site was levelled by ploughing before March 1952.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 17 December 2004.
Monument Types
- ANTI AIRCRAFT BATTERY (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
- GUN EMPLACEMENT (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
- SEARCHLIGHT BATTERY (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
Associated Finds - none
Protected Status
Sources and further reading
| --- | Unpublished Document: Yardley, C. J. 2011. The Mun Valley: Historic landscape Assessment and Landscape Character Assessment for Norfolk Coast Project. p 14. |
| <S1> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 106G/UK/1634 2120-1 09-JUL-1946 (Norfolk SMR TG 2937B and TG 2837A). |
| <S2> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1943. RAF AC/161 5117 04-JAN-1943 (NMR). |
Related records - none
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