NHER 42468 (Monument record) - World War Two pillbox on the Cliff Hill, Gorleston on Sea

January 2006. Norfolk NMP.
A World War Two pillbox is visible on aerial photographs on the summit of Cliff Hill, Gorleston (S1) to (S4). From this vantage point the pillbox would have provided fire cover for the harbour and seafront below. This pillbox is probably the same as NHER 32663, see record for details. Several other pillboxes and gun emplacements are located along the Gorleston seafront and cliffs, such as NHER 42330, 42338 and 42467. The cliff tops and seafront were also protected by a variety of temporary defences such as barbed wire and smaller gun emplacements, see NHER 42350 for details.

This rectangular pillbox is centred on TG 5295 0347, measures 7m by 4m and has a blast wall at the rear. It has already been constructed by February 1941 (S1). The rectangular shape could indicate a type 23 pillbox, which is for light anti aircraft gun, although it is overly large and does not have an open section for gun mounting. It is also of similar dimensions and shape to a type 2/20/A pillbox.

A type 24 pillbox has been recorded in this general vicinity, see NHER 32663 for details. This was apparently located at the junction of Cliff Hill and Avondale Road and demolished in 1976. However no such pillbox is visible at this location on the aerial photographs. The elongated rectangular pillbox visible on the summit of the hill is reasonably close to this recorded location. However the shape of this pillbox does not compare well with the plan of a type 24 pillbox. Despite this it does seem likely that they are the same site. The rectangular pillbox is still clearly visible on the aerial photographs as late as 1965 (S4), but it has been removed by 1978 (S5), which is the date of the next available aerial photographs of the site. This would fit well with NHER 32663, which was recorded as being destroyed in 1976.
S. Massey (NMP), 27 January 2006.