NHER 38787 (Monument record) - Site of World War Two coastal defences

September 2004. Norfolk NMP.
World War Two coastal defences, including barbed wire, anti tank cubes and a pillbox are visible on aerial photographs ((S1) to (S4)). This group of defences is centred around TG 3673 3241. Double and single lines of barbed wire are present along the cliff top on aerial photographs dating to 1941 and 1943 ((S1) to (S4)). Further barbed wire was present approximately 70m inland from the cliff edge around TG 3659 3242. A type 22 pillbox was located in the southern part of this group at TG 36080 32105. A circular barbed wire enclosure surrounded this pillbox and a curved slit trench to its northwest. An outer curved line of barbed wire protected the southwestern side of these defences. Further slit trenches were located 20m south of, and 80m east of, the pillbox. A possible rectangular gun emplacement, or pillbox of uncertain type, flanked by slit trenches was located on the cliff top at TG 36610 32510 ((S1) to (S2)). A further unidentified rectangular structure was present at TG 3673 3242 in 1943 (S4). To its south were four anti tank cubes blocking the end of Ostend Road. Neither of these features were present on 1941 aerial photographs.
J. Albone (NMP), 10 September 2004.

May-November 2004. Norfolk Rapid Coastal Zone Archaeological Survey.
Inter-tidal survey (Environmental Zone 19), Context 479:
Three World War Two concrete anti tank cubes were found embedded in beach sand. They were located between the modern breakwater and the cliff face in an area centred on TG 36712 32427. They could have been in-situ, or they may have fallen from the cliff top.
See assessment report (S5) for further details.
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2017.421).
J. Allen (NLA), 26 April 2005. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 21 July 2019.

February 2006.
The three anti tank cubes recorded by the Norfolk Rapid Coastal Survey could be some of those recorded by the NMP team at the end of Walcott Road. If they are the same cubes, it is probable that the location observed in 2004 is not the original one. These possibilities will need checking once the NMP mapping for Happisburgh is added to the GIS mapping.
D. Robertson (NLA), 16 February 2006.