NHER 27269 (Monument record) - Possible World War Two barbed wire enclosure

March 2005. Norfolk NMP.
The remains of a possible barbed wire enclosure is visible surrounding a farm at Eccles-on-Sea during World War Two (S1). The enclosure and interior buildings are at the junction of Church Lane and Cross Lane and are centred on TG 4056 2911. No definite military structures are visible within the enclosure. The site is situated at the junction of one of the coast roads and therefore may have been protecting the inland approach. A pillbox is also on Church Lane located 270m to the south (NHER 32639). The dunes at Eccles and Sea Palling are dotted with military defences and gun emplacements. It is possible that the farm had been commandeered and was being used as accommodation for troops.

Despite this feature being described as a barbed wire enclosure it is not actually possible to distinguish the presence of barbed wire in-situ, instead an 8m wide disturbance in the crop is visible surrounding the house on both side of the road. This may be due to the quality of the aerial photographs, which is quite poor, it is may be that the barbed wire has been recently removed and therefore only former line of it is visible. This boundary is not visible at all by 1946 (S2).

Although there are no obvious military structures or defences visible within the enclosure on the available aerial photographs. The only possible feature is visible at TG 4052 2917, within the corner of the field and against the road in 1946, by which point the barbed wire has been removed (S2). All that can be distinguished is a slightly raised area of vegetation that has not been taken into cultivation. It is possible that this is a covered component of the former military site, although nothing definite can be identified. A pillbox is located 270m to the south on Church Lane (NHER 32639). The dunes at Eccles and Sea Palling are dotted with military defences and gun emplacements.
(S1-2)
S. Massey (NMP), 09 March 2005.