NHER 27519 (Monument record) - World War Two defences

July 2005. Norfolk NMP.
World War Two defences, including barbed wire and slit trenches, are visible on contemporary and later aerial photographs (S1), (S2), (S3), (S4) and (S5). These defences were centred on TG 5202 1049.

The defences in the eastern part of the group were present by September 1940 (S1) but their full extent is only clear on later aerial photographs (S2), (S3) and (S4). Three sections of crenellated plan slit trench were visible across the site between TG 5182 1039 and TG 5194 1046, TG 5197 1046 and TG 5210 1055 and from TG 5217 1052 to TG 5230 1051. A barbed wire defence formed a northern perimeter to the site, following the edge of a drainage ditch between TG 5164 1026 and TG 5236 1075. Further barbed wire extended across the site dividing it into smaller areas. A curved section of barbed wire in the southwest of the group surrounded the site of Marsh Farm at TG 5176 1032. It is possible that the farm buildings there were occupied by the army. A spigot mortar emplacement was present immediately to the north of the farm at TG 51745 10345. A second spigot mortar emplacement was present to the south of the farm on the riverbank at TG 51737 10227. This was located adjacent to a type 22 pillbox that still survives (NHER 32678). A second extant type 22 pillbox was originally located between two of the sections of slit trench at TG 5211 1054 (NHER 32677). Three rectangular structures of unknown function were sunk into the earth banks of the slit trenches to the north of this pillbox. Two similar structures were also present at the eastern end of the slit trenches on either side of a third spigot mortar emplacement, which was located at TG 52285 10515. A third type 22 pillbox and a further spigot mortar emplacement were located on the southeast side of this group of defences at TG 5232 1048. Neither of these structures survives.

This group of defences were positioned on the west side of Caister Road to protect the northern approach into Great Yarmouth. In the west they extended round to the banks of the River Bure to provide additional defence along that line of communication. They were complemented by a further line of defences to the east of Caister Road including and anti tank ditch, scaffolding and more barbed wire (NHER 27517).

By September 1945 the eastern section of the slit trench had been backfilled (S5). The pillbox in the eastern part of the site had been demolished by July 1946 (S6).
J. Albone (NMP), 28 July 2005

December 2007. The easternmost part of the area, until recently the CHC Scotia Heliport, retains no features or structures of wartime date.
E. Rose (NLA), 4 December 2007.

September 2024. External Communication[1].
The section of slit trench to the southwest of the extant pillbox (NHER 32677), extending between TG 5197 1046 and TG 5210 1055, is visible as a cropmark on a variety of Google Earth imagery dating from 2017 to 2024 (S7-S10).
H. Hamilton (HES), 27 September 2024.