NHER 33293 (Monument record) - World War One-Two aircraft hangers and factory

The centre of this site has been altered from TG 3868 2199 to TG 3866 2198.

9 July 1946. Mushroom Farm. RAF air photograph S1.
2 May 1972. Ordnance Survey air photograph. See (S1).
Two World War One Belfast Hangars, believed by [1] to have been built as part of munitions factory. (note the proximity of railway). Air photograph in file.
D. Edwards (NLA) 26 November 1997.

March 2007. Norfolk NMP.
The consultation of aerial photographs taken during and shortly after World War Two indicates that this military installation was in use during the Second World War (S1, S4). If the structures are all World War One in original they are all obviously still in use. It is proposed that at least one and possibly both of the hangars are World War Two in date. The World War Two structural components of site consisted of a large range of buildings or sheds to the immediate west of the previously recorded hangars. The centre of this site is now TG 3866 2198.

In 1942 all the structures are heavily camouflaged with painted roofs (S4) indicating that this was indeed a site put to military use that was considered a bombing target. A munitions factory would fit this scenario. It appears from the aerial photographs that one of the three hangars, centred on TG 3867 2198, previously recorded as being World War One, gets constructed in-between July 1942 and July 1946 (S1, S4). This structure sits immediately to the west of another hangar already present in 1942. Although the site is camouflaged it seems unlikely that one structure would be ‘invisible’. The new structure would appear to be the same model of building to the Belfast hangar to the east, both 60m by 20m and with a curved profile roof. Another hangar is located to the south, at TG 3867 2191. This structure is slightly smaller measuring 50m by 16m, has a different roof profile and is on a different alignment to the rest of the site, other than a small group of structures to the north of the pair of hangars. It could be suggested that this structure may represent part of an earlier World War One factory, although this is not certain from the aerial photographs. This structure no longer remains.

The function of the majority of these buildings is not clear from the available aerial photographs and as such very little additional information can be added to the record, other than marking the extent of the structures. Additional analysis of the aerial photographs by a specialist may provide a more detailed interpretation as to the function of the buildings. No definite evidence to refute or endorse the suggestion that this site was a munitions factory during either of the wars can be provided.
S. Massey (NMP), 30 March 2007.