Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

November 2004. Norfolk NMP.
World War Two coastal defences are visible on contemporary and later aerial photographs (S1-12). This group of defences is centred on TG 3467 3390 and extends for a distance of 2.2km between TG 3386 3451 and TG 3561 3318. The extent of the defences is visible on aerial photographs dating to 1940, 1941, 1943 and 1946. By September 1940 barbed wire had been placed along the beach at TG 3424 3425, TG 3484 3381, TG 3522 3351, TG 3550 3328 and inland at TG 3476 3380 (S1-3). A hexagonal pillbox, probably a type 22, was located at TG 34190 34270 by 5 September 1940 (S3-4). A row of anti tank cubes were positioned to its northwest with a further three cubes blocking the road to the southeast (S3-4). An unidentified rectangular structure was also present at TG 33905 34480 by this date (S4). In September 1940 slit trenches were located at TG 3414 3430, TG 3428 3419, TG 3437 3412 and TG 3440 3410. A section of anti tank ditch was being excavated on 5 September 1940 (S4). All the remaining sections of anti tank ditch were in place by 16 July 1941 with the areas between these filled by anti tank cubes (S5). Some of the anti tank cubes positioned at TG 3418 3427 in September 1940 had fallen onto the beach by August 1941 (S6).

By July 1941 scaffolding obstructions extended northwest from TG 3560 3317 on the inland side of the anti tank ditch, before crossing to the seaward side at TG 3516 3351. Further scaffolding was present along the beach between TG 3504 3364 and TG 3393 3448 (S5). Hexagonal pillboxes, probably all type 22, were positioned at TG 33895 34460, TG 34385 34105, TG 34465 34040, TG 34935 33710 and TG 35025 33635, the last of these was camouflaged with a pitched roof (S7). Additional slit trenches, weapons pits and barbed wire were visible along the edge of the beach and cliffs by July and August 1941 (S5). Rectangular military concrete structures of uncertain function were present at TG 35570 33210 and TG 35605 33200 in August 1941 (S8). A further rectangular structure, possibly a type 28 pillbox, was buried in sand dunes at TG 34910 33735 in August 1941 (S7) and was more clearly visible on the beach in 1953 (S12). A possible gun emplacement was positioned on the cliff top at TG 35075 33600 in 1941 (S9). Further barbed wire had been positioned inland at TG 3465 3390 and 3495 3368 by January 1943 (S10). Also by this date, an additional row of anti tank cubes had been positioned at TG 3418 3425 to replace those moved by coastal erosion (S10). Two military buildings, including a Nissen hut, were added to a holiday camp at TG 3501 3348 after January 1943 and were still visible in June 1946 (S11). Also present by June 1946 was a curved trench at TG 3441 3407 (S11). No visible above ground evidence of any of these defences survives.
(S1-12)
J. Albone (NMP), 29 November 2004

Monument Types

• ANTI TANK BLOCK (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• ANTI TANK DITCH (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• ANTI TANK SCAFFOLDING (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• BARBED WIRE OBSTRUCTION (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• BEACH DEFENCE (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• GUN EMPLACEMENT (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• MILITARY BUILDING (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• NISSEN HUT (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• PILLBOX (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• SLIT 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

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Bacton (Parish Summary)