Norfolk Heritage Explorer

Location

Full description

March 2006. Norfolk NMP.
A World War Two searchlight battery is visible on aerial photographs on Belton Common (S1-S4). The site consists of earthwork emplacements and military structures, a pillbox and slit trenches. The whole site is enclosed by barbed wire and is centred on TG 4712 0228. This site is located within a wider area of World War Two training features on Belton Common, see NHER 43358 for details. A Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery is located approximately 2.5km to the north near Burgh Castle (NHER 43359).

At TG 4709 0221 is a circular embankment, 11m diameter, with a 4m wide bank and a surrounding ditch. A 90 cm light would probably have stood within this emplacement, but has been removed by July 1944 (S1). Approximately 50m to the north is a second circular emplacement, 9m in diameter. This may have been for the emplacement for the predictor and again this is empty by July 1944 (S1). In-between the two emplacements in 1944 is a small mounted structure, approximately 4m across and standing on a square concrete platform or surface. It is possible that this is a late World War Two searchlight site utilising a radar controlled 150-mm projector mounted on a wheeled trailer or similar structure. This searchlight may have replaced the earlier one that would have been within the embanked emplacement.

Centred on TG 4707 0230 is a row of rectangular structures, all between 7-9m long and 3-6m wide. The appearance of these huts is hard to discern on the available aerial photographs and this may be due to camouflage netting or some similar device. It is possible that they are curved-profile huts. These would have been accommodation and stores for the site. There are traces of other structures, removed by July 1944, visible on the ground surface. All of the huts have been removed by October 1945 (S2). These huts are located at the southern end of a trackway. At the northern end is a possible square structure at TG 4715 0240, 7.5m across, again this has a camouflaged appearance. An additional small structure is visible to the north of this. To the immediate west of this is an existing structure. It is likely that this building was being used the military operating the searchlights.

To the east of the emplacements is a hexagonal type 22 pillbox at TG 4717 0228 (S1-S3). This is surrounded by a series of slit trenches and clusters of weapons pits. The majority of the weapons pits have not been mapped individually, rather their extent was defined by a polygon on the NMP map. Some larger and distinct weapons pits were mapped individually in the vicinity of the searchlights. The perimeter of the searchlight site and the pillbox to the east is protected by barbed wire obstructions.

The earthworks of the main searchlight emplacement and pillbox are still extant on aerial photographs from 1980 (S4). The pillbox is still standing in 1988 (S5). A site visit would be needed to ascertain whether either of these structures still survive on the ground now.
S. Massey (NMP), 13 March 2006

Monument Types

• BARBED WIRE OBSTRUCTION (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• HUT (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)
• PRACTICE TRENCH (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• SEARCHLIGHT BATTERY (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• SLIT TRENCH (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• STRUCTURE (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 - none

Find out more...

• Parish Summary: Belton with Browston (Parish Summary)