NHER 53254 (Cropmark and Earthwork record) - Site of World War Two anti-landing obstacles at Eaton

1973.
World War Two concrete structures blown up by [1] prior to the development of the site by [2].
Information from [3].
A. Beckham (HES), 21 April 2013.

December 2009. Norfolk NMP.
World War Two anti-landing obstacles are visible as earthworks on aerial photographs (S1)-(S15) across an extensive area of land at Eaton, centred at TG 2090 0611. First visible in 1940, the trenches, pits, banks and mounds that make up the obstacles would have been excavated with the intention of preventing the landing of enemy aircraft (although their origination as a training exercise for local troops, and their role as a more general anti-invasion defence cannot be ruled out). The features have been mapped schematically, to give a general impression as to their form and layout, rather than a detailed depiction of individual elements. In many cases it is difficult to distinguish from the aerial photographs between those elements which were banked and those which were ditched; in general the dominant element, as far as it can be made out, has been mapped, but it should be noted that for some elements the mapped ditch or bank may have been flanked respectively by a bank of spoil or the ditch from which the bank material was derived. In some areas the earthworks are arranged in a rough grid formation; in others, more isolated pits or linear obstacles predominate. The site is just one of several groups of such obstacles evident surrounding the city (see NHER 51903, for example). From at least 1942, the south-western extent of the site was occupied by a heavy anti aircraft battery (NHER 32529); for the sake of clarity, the aircraft obstructions have not been mapped in the south-western field occupied by the battery and its gun laying radar platform. To the northwest the obstacles extend into a field lying adjacent to a barrage balloon site (NHER 53247).
Various other low or levelled earthworks are visible across the site, in particularly in its northern portion, in the vicinity of the sports ground. As these are poorly defined on the consulted aerial photographs, and their date, function and archaeological significance uncertain, they have not been mapped. To the south, a number of additional features have been mapped, namely a possible slit trench and spigot mortar pedestal at TG 2099 0594, and a second possible spigot mortar pedestal, seemingly built into a mound forming part of an anti-landing obstacle, at TG 2096 0573.
Some parts of the site appear to have been partially levelled by 1942 (around TG 2077 0616); these and others (at TG 2089 0573) had clearly been backfilled by or during 1945 (see (S6) for example). Much of the area occupied by the anti-landing obstacles has since been built over, and the earthworks for the most part presumably levelled and/or destroyed.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 30 December 2009.