NHER 27935 (Monument record) - Site of World War Two gun emplacement and trackway

October 2002. Norfolk NMP.
World War Two gun emplacement and possible trackway of firing target visible on RAF aerial photographs from 1946 (S1). An earthwork emplacement is visible within the centre of a triangular area of heath at TG 0694 4242. The aerial photographs are not very clear, although a D-shaped platform is just visible, measuring 5m by 5.5m. This is surrounded to the north by quite a wide U-shaped ditch, 2m across. This is in turn is flanked by an up-cast bank, 1m wide. This feature is not clear on any other aerial photographs, possibly covered by vegetation at other times of the year. The earthworks may be a gun emplacement or similar structure. Another seemingly military feature runs around the entire circumference of the triangular heath. It is a trackway cut through the vegetation with a worn ground surface. It places it almost appears like it has a ditched element, although it is hard to differentiate due to the shadow caused by the difference in vegetation height. The trackway runs around in a loop from TG 0664 4252 to TG 0699 4227 and then curves around to the north to TG 0708 4244 and then continues to the west to TG 0664 4253. The trackway stops near to where it starts, however, the two sections do not link up. The trackway does not link up with any contemporary structures, although it does cross over at least one visible Bronze Age barrow (SMR 6209). This does appear to be a ‘road to nowhere’, despite this it is extremely well worn and shows no signs of deviation. It is possible that this track was the line of a moving target or a similar training device, which ran back and worth. However the positioning does not seem entirely consistent with this interpretation, as the central gun emplacement does not appear to have sufficient height. The land slopes down to the south slightly, so this may give the gun emplacement some slight natural elevation. At present there is not enough evidence to prove this interpretation, it must remain as a possibility however.
S. Massey (NMP), 30 April 2003.