NHER 27365 (Monument record) - World War Two defences

July 2005. Norfolk NMP.
A group of World War Two defensive structures is visible on aerial photographs (S1) and (S2). They are first visible on photographs taken in 1944, e.g. (S1) but by this date they may have been in place for some time. They are clustered around Haven Bridge but the bridge itself appears to be undefended. Lines across it probably relate to its double bascule construction and associated barriers rather than to a road block. A road block could have existed earlier in the war, being removed once the immediate threat of invasion had passed; alternatively, the existing barriers and the possibility of raising the bridge may have been regarded as an adequate defence. The structures described here, therefore, probably relate to the defence of the bridge from attack from land or air, but would not themselves have prevented access across it. Later aerial photographs indicate that all the structures were removed by at least April 1947 (S3); some were removed prior to this date.

On the southwest bank of the river (at TG 5211 0750) is a Type 22 pillbox. This had been removed by August 1945 (S2). On the opposite bank (at TG 5217 0755) is a light anti aircraft tower, probably the same as that mentioned in a bibliographic reference (S4); a structure visible on the platform in April 1944 (S1) is probably the gun or gun mount. There are a number of huts surrounding it but while these may have been used by the military there is no overt evidence of this on the aerial photographs and consequently they have not been mapped. To its southeast (at TG 5220 0751) are two small structures. These appear to have been built relatively recently on photographs from 1944 for example (S1) and are presumably military in origin. Their function is unknown. They might be pillboxes; two pillboxes of unknown type have been recorded at this approximate location (S5). They could also have acted as picket or sentry posts, monitoring access across (and perhaps underneath) the bridge.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 25 July 2005.