Record Details
| NHER Number: | 23514 |
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| Type of record: | Monument |
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| Name: | World War Two Royal Navy pillbox and observation tower |
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Summary
A coastguard tower and a Royal Navy pillbox, both part of the World War Two Hunstanton Coastal Battery (see NHER 26938). The tower was built before the outbreak of World War Two and adapted for military use during the war. It was linked to gun emplacements via a tunnel (see NHER 24939) and after the end of World War Two it returned to the coastguard.
Images
Location
| Grid Reference: | TF 6767 4211 |
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| Map Sheet: | TF64SE |
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| Parish: | HUNSTANTON, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK |
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Full description
April 1987. Visit.
Northwest corner of coastguard lookout tower.
Defensive position.
Rectangular brick with concrete roof, like typical 'Home Guard' type of pillbox, but taller and narrower and with splayed gunslits.
E. Rose (NAU), April 1987.
The coastguard tower itself is fortified and was formerly part of the coastal defence battery.
The small defensive structure is a Royal Navy pillbox. The underground chambers at NHER 24939 were connected.
See detailed report (S1) in file by [1].
E. Rose (NLA), 4 March 1997.
See record form (S1) in file by source [1], who adds: Unique Royal Naval pattern pillbox standing alongside coastguard tower. Dated 1940.
D. Walker (NLA), July 1996.
September 2002. Norfolk NMP.
The World War Two structures which are part of this site have been recorded under a larger number as part of NMP, NHER 26938. This site includes all the military defences, both temporary and permanent along this section of the Hunstanton coast and including the gun emplacements formerly recorded under NHER 24939.
S. Massey (NMP), 18 September 2002.
NGR amended from original TF 6766 4210 via GIS.
M. Horlock (NLA), 12 Decmber 2002.
December 2004. Norfolk Rapid Coastal Survey. Land based phase.
The Royal Navy pillbox was monitored (NHER 41012 context 7). World War Two brick and concrete pillbox. Reused as a service building. See (S2).
The tower was linked to gun emplacements via a tunnel (see NHER 24939).
A. Hunt (NMP) states the tower pre-dates the World War Two and is marked on the 1905 Ordnance Survey map (S3). See NHER 26938 for further details.
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.421).
D. Robertson (NLA), 18 April 2006. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 July 2019.
Monument Types
- COASTAL OBSERVATION POST (19th Century to Late 20th Century - 1900 AD? to 2000 AD)
- BATTERY OBSERVATION POST (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
- COASTAL BATTERY (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)
- ROYAL OBSERVER CORPS MONITORING POST (Mid 20th Century to Late 20th Century - 1957 AD to 1968 AD)
Associated Finds - none
Protected Status - none
Sources and further reading
| --- | Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card. |
| --- | Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2002. Room with a view up for sale to flaire buyer. 19 April. |
| --- | Secondary File: Secondary File. |
| <S1> | Recording Form: [various]. Norfolk Defensive Structures Survey Recording Form. Norfolk Defensive Structures Survey. |
| <S2> | Unpublished Contractor Report: Robertson, D., Crawley, P., Barker, A., and Whitmore, S. 2005. Norfolk Rapid Coastal Zone Archaeological Survey. Assessment Report and Updated Project Design. Norfolk Archaeological Unit. 1045. |
| <S3> | Map: Ordnance Survey. 1905. OS 2nd Edition 25 inch Sheet VI.1 (1905). |
| <S4> | Article in Serial: Catford, N.. 1999. ROC Underground Posts in Norfolk.. NIAS Journal. Vol 6, No 4. |
Related records
| 26938 | Part of: Hunstanton World War Two Coastal Battery (Monument) |
| 41012 | Part of: Norfolk Rapid Coastal Survey: land based survey at Hunstanton (Monument) |
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