NHER 50665 (Monument record) - Site of World War Two searchlight battery

November 2007. Norfolk NMP.
The remains of a World War Two searchlight battery are visible on aerial photographs alongside the Felthorpe Road, to west of Mileplain Plantation, Attlebridge (S1-S3). The site is centred on TG 1386 1692. The site consists of the circular marks left by the removed searchlight and associated emplacements and an area of operational buildings and accommodation, again mostly removed by 1945.

In 1945 a series of circular parchmarks are visible centred on TG 1396 1675. The largest of the three is 20m in diameter and the two smaller, overlapping circular marks are both 10m across. This arrangement of a large circular embankment alongside one or multiple smaller circular examples would suggest that this is the remains of a searchlight emplacement. To the north of the site and to the south of Felthorpe Road is a series of structures, still remaining, and marks indicating the former presence of additional structures (S1). It is likely that this represents the remains of the operational buildings and accommodation for the searchlight battery. All traces of these structures have been removed by 1946 (S4). To the north of Felthorpe Road is another group of possible structures visible in 1945. Unlike those to the south these still remain in 1946 (S3) and it is possible that they are agricultural in origin or that they get converted to non-military use after the demolition of the searchlight site.
S. Massey (NMP), 09 November 2007.