Record Details

NHER Number:40825
Type of record:Monument
Name:World War Two air raid shelter and post medieval dene hole

Summary

A World War Two air raid shelter was found when foundations for a new house were excavated. Beneath the air raid shelter a chalk mine, filled up with post medieval bottles including those of the Potter the Otter company of Thetford, was found. This mine might have been dug to provide chalk to build the adjacent clunch house in the mid 19th century.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TL 71709 90212
Map Sheet:TL79SW
Parish:FELTWELL, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

10 October 2004. Found in digging footings in garden immediately north of house. 56 Wilton Road. Visit.
Air raid shelter of brick, aligned east to west, World War Two. Single chamber.
Beneath the floor, a chalk mine, bell shaped but dome destroyed by the shelter. Diameter 2.20m east to west, 1.75m north to south. Excavated before visit to depth of 2.30m which seems to be more or less the bottom. Small tunnels lead off, one to northeast exposed for 1.5m and one to southwest exposed for 0.69m, but both clearly continue down at an angle; bases of tunnels not exposed. Chalk in side of shaft is in tabular blocks. Backfill consisted of black soil full of many complete glass 'alley' bottles mostly from Mildenhall firms but also many others including a Potter the Otter from Thetford but made in Walsall; also several stoneware jars stamped Mildenhall, Stoke Ferry, Setch and Doultons. Iron objects, one embossed KING. The adjacent house, which once stood isolated, belonged to the Hockwold Hall estate and is constructed of clunch with a mid 19th century brick façade and a red brick rear wing. It seems improbable, but not impossible, that the mine was used to get the chalk for the house.
See (S1) in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 11 October 2004.

Monument Types

  • DENE HOLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
  • AIR RAID SHELTER (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Associated Finds

  • BOTTLE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status - none

Sources and further reading

---Secondary File: Secondary File.
<S1>Photograph: Rose, E.. 2005. KVN 9-12.

Related records - none

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