Record Details
| NHER Number: | 32538 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | Site of Radar Station and World War Two defences |
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Summary
The site of a World War Two radar station receiver site, which had four wooden receiver towers. The larger site to the east (NHER 14227) acted as the transmitter site with four steel transmitter towers. The site was defended by a number of defences, including four rare AM5 pillboxes, two with a light anti-aircraft chimney mounts on top. In 1996 it was partially derelict, although a number of World War Two period defensive positions remained around the perimeter, including two of the pillboxes.
Images - none
Location
| Grid Reference: | TG 2525 0264 |
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| Map Sheet: | TG20SE |
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| Parish: | STOKE HOLY CROSS, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
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Full description
Former radar station. [1]
Should not be confused with the better known aerials at NHER 14227. Part derelict, part built over for housing. A number of defensive positions remain around the perimeter.
Very rare type AM5 pill box at TG 2526 0258, date 1940. Names of soldiers still visible inside. Adjacent to dacoit fence with bullet hole. Survey No. M4-13 (S1).
Very rare type AM5 pill box built into fence at TG 2520 0263. Light anti-aircraft 20mm chimney mount on top. Dating from World War Two. Survey Nos M4-10, M4-11 (S1).
World War Two pill box, possibly type AM5 built into north face at TG 2525 0277. Now demolished. Survey No. M4-12 (S1).
Type AM5 pill box once stood on east face of perimeter at TG 25310270. Now demolished. Survey No. M4-14 (S1).
See record forms (S1) and (S2) in file.
D. Walker (NLA), July 1996.
(S9) refers to the dismantling of four wooden pylons.
H. Mellor (HES), 5 January 2017.
April 1997. Site visit.
Pill boxes, etc photographed. Graffiti of soldiers' names transcribed.
See file and (S3).
D. Gurney (NLA), 1 May 1997.
August 2004.
This site had four wooden aerials.
See (S4).
E. Rose (NLA), 24 August 2004.
In 1997 a large stone was dug up within the radar station area but this proved to be a glacial erratic. Photograph in secondary file in order to avoid misunderstandings at a later date.
E. Rose (NLA), 24 April 2007.
November 2009. Norfolk NMP.
The site of a World War Two radar station is visible on aerial photographs alongside Chandler Road at Upper Stoke (S5-S6). The site is centred on TG 2526 0270. Stoke Holy Cross radar station forms part of the main chain for the national Chain Home radar network, and its construction relates to a planned expansion of the original Chain network in late 1937 to early 1938 (S7), and was in operation by 1939, with three timber towers completed by January 1937 (S8). The radar station is split across two sites, almost 400m apart. The larger site to the east (NHER 14227) acted as the transmitter site with four steel transmitter towers. This site forms the receiver site with four timber receiver masts arranged to a trapezoidal plan, all approximately 75m apart.
The rectangular receiver block is located within the centre of the four towers and is surrounded by a broad earthen bank. The ‘Buried Reserve’, an underground receiver block, is located approximately 180m to the east in the adjoining field (NHER 32835). The remainder of the site consists of a variety of huts and operational buildings. One of these structures will have been the Stand-by-Set House, which maintained the power supply.
The perimeter of the site is defended by four AM5 pillboxes, at TG 2519 0267, TG 2529 0276, TG 2532 0270 and TG 2529 0260. At least two of these, the southern and western facing examples, have mounted gun positions on top (Light Anti-Aircraft 20mm chimney mounts according to above entry). Although it is really hard to discern for certain, the perimeter of the site appears to be surrounded by a barbed wire obstruction.
Outside of the main site there is the rectangular entrance to an underground air raid shelter at TG 2534 0273 and a spigot mortar emplacement at TG 2533 0277. On the roads opposite to the site a series of fairly regularly spaced disturbed areas are visible, it is possible that there represent the remains of weapons pits or similar defensive positions.
S. Horlock (NMP), 04 November 2009.
Monument Types
- RADAR STATION (Unknown date)
- AIR RAID SHELTER (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
- ANTI AIRCRAFT BATTERY (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
- BARBED WIRE OBSTRUCTION (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
- CHAIN HOME STATION (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
- GUN EMPLACEMENT (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
- PILLBOX (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
- RADAR BEACON? (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
- SPIGOT MORTAR EMPLACEMENT (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
- WEAPONS PIT (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
Associated Finds - none
Protected Status - none
Sources and further reading
| --- | Secondary File: Secondary File. |
| --- | Newspaper Article: [Unknown]. [Unknown]. Historic radar site shouldbe preserved. [Unknown]. |
| <S1> | Recording Form: [various]. Norfolk Defensive Structures Survey Recording Form. Norfolk Defensive Structures Survey. |
| <S2> | Photograph: Kent, P.. 1995. KHJ 19-21, 23-25. |
| <S3> | Photograph: HPR. |
| <S4> | *Verbal Communication: Bailes, D.. 2004. [unknown]. 24 August. |
| <S5> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 106G/UK/1429 4154-5 16-APR-1946 (NMR). |
| <S6> | Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1949. RAF 541/390 4021-2 10-NOV-1949 (NMR). |
| <S7> | Monograph: Dobinson, C.S.. 2000. Twentieth Century Fortifications in England. Volume VII 2. Acoustics and Radar. Appendices.. |
| <S8> | Monograph: Dobinson, C.S.. 2000. Twentieth Century Fortifications In England. Volume VII 1. Acoustics and Radar. Text.. |
| <S9> | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1998. Relief when pylon finally fell. 12 May. |
Related records - none
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