Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

March 2019. Breckland National Mapping Programme.
A Second World War military camp and associated training remains are seen as earthworks and foundations on aerial photographs and lidar visualisations (S1-S7). Four areas of huts can be seen at TL 8007 9507, TL 8043 9501, TL 8071 9514 and at TL 8044 9559. There is a range of different sized huts which would have served various functions including for accommodation, support structures and maintenance workshops (S8). The huts can be seen as structures in the 1940s and have mostly been removed by the 1950s with the earthwork banks, which would have surrounded the huts, still visible on recent (2015) lidar visualisations (S4-S5).
Further to the huts, a large sewage works (located at TL 8000 9470) can be seen as a structure in the 1940s and its foundations are seen on recent lidar visualisations. Two possible pipelines extending from the sewage works can be seen on the 1940s air photos (S1) and would have most likely serviced the huts to the north.
Further structures can be seen including a possible building platform at TL 8010 9494 and a possible fenced structure (similar to NHER 63043, 63044 and 63051 located within High Ash military camp (NHER 34704) to the north) at TL 8034 9493.
Within the centre of the training area, on the 1940s aerial photographs, there are two lines of very small, roughly rectangular, staggered pits aligned approximately north-south at TL 7957 9495 and at TL 7990 9484. Furthermore there is a cluster of large pits with surrounding mounds at TL 8015 9472 and a second cluster of small pits with a possible practice trench at TL 7979 9469 which are visible on Lidar visualisations. At TL 7970 9483 on the 1940s aerial photographs a group of earthworks can be seen consisting of a possible pit surrounded by a curved bank, a large mounded area and a smaller mound. A number of small pits, possible explosive craters and vehicle tracks are dispersed throughout training area on the 1940s aerial photographs.
These features are most likely the products of the military training excises associated with the camp; however, it is difficult to interpret the specific function of these features form the air photo and lidar evidence alone. There is a number of other earthworks within the area that relate to post medieval extraction pits (one of which may have still been active during the Second World War at TL 8041 9594), parish boundary banks and forestry enclosure banks. This military camp is one of four Second World War camps in the area including High Ash (NHER 34704 and NHER 63067) Didlington (NHER 4821 and NHER 63067) and Cranwich camp (NHER 25240)
J.Powell (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 4th March 2019

Monument Types

• ACCOMMODATION HUT? (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• BANK (EARTHWORK) (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• DITCH (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• HUT (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• MILITARY CAMP (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• MILITARY ROAD (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• MILITARY TRAINING SITE (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• MOUND (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• NISSEN HUT? (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• PIT (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• PRACTICE TRENCH? (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• ROAD (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• SEWAGE WORKS (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• SLIT TRENCH? (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• STRUCTURE (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• TRENCH? (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

Related records