NHER 42275 (Monument record) - World War Two air raid shelters on Bull's Lane and Priory Road, Gorleston on Sea

January 2006. Norfolk NMP.
A large group of World War Two air raid shelters is visible on aerial photographs alongside Priory Road and Bull’s Lane, Gorleston (S1 to S3). These include several large civilian and communal shelters, plus numerous small private Anderson shelters. The site is centred on TG 5262 0484.

The largest communal shelter is centred on TG 5264 0482 and measures 14m by 11.5m. This consists of four conjoined elongated rectangular structures. A circular shaft or vent visible on the southern end of the four shelters. This large group of shelters is located at the rear of three rows of houses, one of which backed onto Priory Road. All the properties have since been demolished. New houses now stand on the site of the shelters.

At TG 5266 0485 is another large shelter, measuring 6m by 4.5m. This has a square projecting structure or component towards the eastern end of the shelter, which is surrounded by four square vents or shafts. It seems likely that this shelter also served several households. Two other shelters of larger size are visible within the gardens of properties formerly on Bull’s Lane (now demolished) at TG 5265 0485 and TG 5264 0485. Both of these measured approximately 9m by 3.5m.

Four smaller earth covered shelters, probably Andersons, were also visible on Bull’s lane at TG 5264 0484, TG 5263 0483, TG 5262 0484 and TG 5262 0484. At the western end of Bull’s Lane are a further two possible air raid shelters (S1, S3). However the location of both of these possible shelters are marked as structures on the Ordnance Survey Second Edition map (1902 to 7, 25 inch) (S4). It is therefore possible that existing structures have been adapted or covered with earth to act as shelters. One of these may have a concrete L shape joined to the existing rectangular structure. Although this site is hard to discern as it is only visible on the edge of some oblique aerial photographs from 1941 (S1), it is obscured by tree cover on later aerial photographs.

Several other possible mounded features or areas were identified on the aerial photographs, notably at TG 5257 0479 and TG 5264 0483, however these lacked the regularity of shape and texture exhibited by the other air raid shelters and were therefore omitted from the mapping.
S. Massey (NMP), 03 January 2006.