NHER 50995 (Monument record) - Probable World War Two training area.

A probable World War Two military training area is visible as earthworks on aerial photographs (S1), centred at TG 2662 1328. The features occupy an area of rough ground in Tollshill wood, at the north-west end of Rackheath Park (NHER 30518). The earthworks comprise lengths of zigzag practice trench, as well as shorter V-shaped and linear trenches. Although they are only limited in extent, other signs of activity, such as tracks and areas of disturbance, and other practice trenches to the east (NHER 50741) suggest that military activity once extended over much of this area. (It is difficult, however, to tell for certain which features relate to military activity and which relate to non-military activity, such as tree-felling.) It is difficult to say for certain, as the features only appear on one set of photographs examined (S1), but if they are contemporary with the trenches recorded to the east (NHER 50741) it is possible that they date from earlier in the war, and therefore may pre-date the adjacent World War Two airfield at Rackheath (NHER 8170), the domestic site for which (NHER 50740) occupied much of the central and southern portions of the park.
E. Bales (NMP), 4 November 2008.