NHER 27511 (Monument record) - Site of World War Two military camp

July 2005. Norfolk NMP.
World War Two military activity at Caister Old Hall Holiday Camp is visible on contemporary aerial photographs (S1 to S7). The site is centred on TG 5204 1216 and lies to the south of Norwich Road and west of High Street.
Like other holiday camps on the Norfolk coast, the camp at Caister Old Hall, which had been established in 1933, was taken over by the military at the start of World War Two (S10). Military buildings appear to have been constructed at the site by August 1940 (S1) and were certainly in place by December of that year (S2). By that time, five buildings had been constructed at the site to supplement the chalets that were already present. Three of these were rectangular in plan with projecting entrances at opposite corners. These buildings measured 10m long by 4m wide excluding the entrances. They are of a brick or concrete construction with flat concrete roofs. Buildings of this type are present at other holiday camp sites in Caister that were taken over by the military (NHER 27476 and 27478) but their function is unknown. A possible gun emplacement is present at the southwest corner of one of these three buildings at TG 5201 1219 (S6). The other two military buildings present at the site in December 1940 were Nissen huts. These were located at TG 5197 1221 and TG 5205 1218. Aerial photographs from 1945 show that these were painted with a camouflaged pattern (S6).
Very little activity is visible at the site on aerial photographs dating to May 1944 (S3). By contrast aerial photographs dating from 4 July 1944 show at least forty vehicles at the site (S4). This increase in activity is likely to be connected to the allied invasion of mainland Europe one month earlier. Troops and equipment were probably amassed at this site, and others in the area, ready for departure to Europe to support and resupply the initial invasion force. These vehicles had all departed by 5 August 1944 (S5). Refuse pits and structural remains associated with the World War Two activity have been revealed during archaeological excavations at the site (NHER 35843).
A military site with a Nissen hut immediately to the south of West Road (NHER 27510) is likely to be associated with the activity at the Old Hall holiday camp. That site also shows an increase in activity, with vehicles present, around July 1944 (S4).
All but one of the military buildings at the Old Hall site were demolished between April 1952 and March 1955 (S8 and S9). However, the central one of the three flat roofed buildings at TG 5206 1216 still survives and is incorporated into the buildings of the Old Hall Hotel.
J. Albone (NMP), 21 July 2005.