NHER 42514 (Monument record) - Site of possible World War Two road block at Great Yarmouth

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Summary

A possible World War Two road block is visible as white marks on a road surface and later an area of resurfacing on 1940s aerial photographs. This suggests the former presence of sockets in the road surface to take anti tank vertical rails or pins. The site was located on a minor road or track, below a railway bridge which has since been demolished or incorporated into the embankment of the A47. It was one of a cluster of pillboxes and other World War Two defences identified in this area, including two Type 24 pillboxes located within 100m of the postulated road block and on each side of the railway line (NHER 32658 and 32659). All these anti invasion defences were presumably sited to protect the town in the event of an attack on its landward side.

Protected Status/Designation

None recorded

Location

Map sheet	TG50NW
Civil Parish	GREAT YARMOUTH, GREAT YARMOUTH, NORFOLK

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Full Description

February 2006. Norfolk NMP.
Marks on a former road surface at TG 5151 0684, which are visible on aerial photographs (S1)-(S4), may mark the site of a World War Two road block. The approximate extent of the marks has been mapped by the NMP. They are first visible on aerial photographs taken in 1944 (S1)-(S2); by 1945 (S3) it is clear that the road had been resurfaced, although marks are still visible here on photographs taken in 1947 (S4). The need to resurface the road suggests the former presence of sockets to take anti tank vertical rails or bent pins, or a similar kind of obstruction. It is not clear whether the white marks visible in March 1944 (S1) represent the actual sockets or the resurfacing. The site has since been built over and is now occupied by the embankment for the A47.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 14 February 2006.

Associated Sources (4)

<S1> SNF57272 Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1944. RAF HLA/694 4106-7 26-MAR-1944 (NMR).
<S2> SNF61205 Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1944. RAF 106G/LA/21 4039-40 04-JUL-1944 (NMR).
<S3> SNF61210 Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1945. RAF 106G/UK/726 5028-9 26-AUG-1945 (NMR).
<S4> SNF61832 Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1947. RAF CPE/UK/1958 7158-9 05-APR-1947 (NMR).

Site and Feature Types and Periods (5)

Object Types (0)

Related NHER Records (0)

Record last edited

Oct 9 2012 11:55AM