Record Details

NHER Number:38981
Type of record:Monument
Name:Site of World War Two gun emplacements

Summary

A pair of World War Two gun emplacements is located on the cliff edge in the gardens of the now demolished Overstrand Hotel. These defences are positioned in close proximity to several other defensive sites; a slit trench to the south of the coast road (NHER 38980) and a large concrete platform assumed to have held a gun position (NHER 38982). To the west are the heavily defended steps down to the beach, which had been protected with several pillboxes, gun emplacements and road blocks (NHER 38506).

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 25282 40668
Map Sheet:TG24SE
Parish:OVERSTRAND, NORTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

November 2004. Norfolk NMP.
A pair of World War Two gun emplacements is located on the cliff edge in the gardens of the now demolished Overstrand Hotel (S1-2). These defences are centred on TG 2528 4066 and are positioned in close proximity to several other defensive sites; a slit trench to the south of the coast road (NHER 38980) and a large concrete platform assumed to have held a gun position (NHER 38982). To the west are the heavily defended steps down to the beach, which had been protected with several pillboxes, gun emplacements and road blocks (NHER 38506).

The individual guns are positioned at TG 2528 4068 and at TG 2527 4064. Both consist of a 1m thick and 5.5m long, angular, C-shaped wall on the cliff edge, which is backed by a curving C-shaped wall of sandbags or similar material. The southern gun emplacement is destroyed in-between September 1940 (S1) and August 1941 (S2). This appears to be due to the cliff edge collapsing, although this may have been caused by enemy fire. The northern emplacement survives until at least 1943 (S3-4). The wall presumably had a series of loopholes or slots in the face.
(S1-4)
S. Massey (NMP), 25 November 2004.

Monument Types

  • GUN EMPLACEMENT (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
  • LOOPHOLED WALL? (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

<S1>Oblique Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1940. NMR TG 2540/10 (MSO 31020 26/BR14/12 4905) 19-SEP-1940.
<S2>Oblique Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1941. NMR TG 2540/18 (MSO 31255 S378/H50 26) 07-AUG-1941.
<S3>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1942. RAF AC/59 53-4 19-JUN-1942 (NMR).
<S4>Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1943. RAF AC/161 5065-6 04-JAN-1943 (NMR).

Related records - none

Find out more...

Norfolk County Council logo Heritage Lottery Fund logo

Powered by HBSMR-web and the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd, and mojoPortal CMS
© 2007 - 2024 Norfolk Historic Environment Service