Record Details

NHER Number:42105
Type of record:Monument
Name:World War Two beach scaffolding

Summary

A line of World War Two beach scaffolding is visible as an extant structure on 1940s aerial photographs. It formed a continuous line along the beach at Horsey, extending into the parishes of Sea Palling and Winterton at either end. It is first visible on aerial photographs taken in 1945 and it replaced several less extensive barriers of barbed wire or scaffolding visible on aerial photographs taken in 1940 (parts of NHER 42103, 42104, 42120, 42129 and 42130). It appears to have been laid out to protect the entire length of Horsey dunes, which were themselves intensively utilised by the military (for example see NHER 42104). The line continued to the southeast as NHER 42132, the division between the two ‘sites’ being somewhat arbitrary. Later aerial photographs indicate that it was still in place in 1947 and parts may remain buried on the beach.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 4705 2365
Map Sheet:TG42SE
Parish:HORSEY, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
SEA PALLING, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK
WINTERTON ON SEA, GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK

Full description

October 2005. Norfolk NMP.
A line of World War Two beach scaffolding is visible on 1940s aerial photographs (S1), (S2), (S3) and (S4), between TG 4572 2508 and TG 4820 2223. It extended along the entire length of Horsey dunes, continuing to the southeast beyond the Hundred Stream and along Winterton Dunes as NHER 42132 (the division between the two ‘sites’ is more or less arbitrary). It has been mapped as a continuous line; small gaps which may be visible on aerial photographs taken in 1946-7 were not clear enough to map and are unlikely to have been part of the original defensive scheme. The scaffolding, which is first visible on aerial photographs taken in 1945 (S1), replaced several less extensive barriers of barbed wire or scaffolding (variously recorded as NHER 42103, 42104, 42120, 42129 and 42130) which protected individual gaps in the dunes. It was still visible in 1947 (S4), while a section may be visible at approximately TG 4638 2445 on aerial photographs taken in 1953 (S5). This suggests that at least parts of the scaffolding were not removed after the war and may remain buried on the beach.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 27 October 2005.

Monument Types

  • BEACH DEFENCE (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
  • BEACH SCAFFOLDING (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

<S1>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1945. RAF 106G/UK/859 3117-9 29-SEP-1945 (NMR).
<S2>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 106G/UK/1634 2107-9 09-JUL-1946 (NMR).
<S3>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 106G/UK/1634 4109-11 09-JUL-1946 (NHER TG 4722A-B & TG 4822A).
<S4>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1947. RAF CPE/UK/2170 5138-42 26-JUN-1947 (NMR).
<S5>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1953. RAF 540/1005 0146-7 04-FEB-1953 (NMR).

Related records - none

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