Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

June 1946. RAF air photograph.
Shows military site on most of area of scrub/heath. Four buildings in west, with pathways leading to circular structures to northeast and east and rectangular to north. Pillboxes in northwest and southwest corners of field. Probable degraded/demolished structures near to those extant. Likely anti aircraft or searchlight battery, but not complete enough to be sure. Site covers existing sites NHER 1794 and 30868.

1978. Ordnance Survey air photograph.
Arable.
B. Cushion (NLA), 11 June 1998.

2000. Field Observation and Desk-based Assessment.
Site visited and considered as part of archaeological assessment of Holkham Estate.
Grassy area at the top of a hill. No surface evidence remains.
See report (S4) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 28 April 2015.

2001.
Land now in use as a private air strip.
Pillbox at southwest corner not obvious, but no detailed search was made.
E. Rose (NLA), 6 August 2001.

May 2002. Norfolk NMP.
The feature at the centre of the site (TF 8662 4137) is formed by an almost perfectly circular bank, with a maximum external diameter of 18m. The internal area has a maximum diameter of 13m. There is a possible circular area of concrete or hard standing within the embankment, and a break or entrance in the bank on the western side, through which a path or narrow trackway leads approximately westwards to a complex of buildings. To the immediate north there is a second circular area of hard standing with two associated circular earthworks or depressions, each with an approximate diameter of 5m. A worn pathway also connects these features to the buildings. There is a line of four rectangular buildings (TF 8659 4137 to TF 8656 4135) within an area of apparent hard standing. The buildings range in size from 8.5m X 5m to 4.5m X 3.3m. There are additional small earthen and concrete features within the compound with worn pathways leading to and from them. The southwestern corner of the site appears to be defended by a square pillbox (type 26?) or strongpoint. The northwestern corner of the site is defended by a type 22 pillbox (TF 8654 4149) with a short length of defensive trench visible around its southern side. This pillbox is the only element of the site still visible in 1988 (S3). This is probably a searchlight and light anti aircraft battery. It is probably one of a series positioned at approximately 5km intervals on an east to west line across north Norfolk.
M. Brennand (NMP), 13 May 2002.

Monument Types

• ANTI AIRCRAFT BATTERY (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• BANK (EARTHWORK) (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• LINEAR FEATURE (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• MILITARY BUILDING (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• PILLBOX (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• SEARCHLIGHT BATTERY? (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

Related records

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Burnham Thorpe (Parish Summary)