NHER 53420 (Monument record) - Site of World War Two air raid shelters, Home Guard shelters, ARP posts or similar structures

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Summary

A pair of small concrete buildings, each with a blast wall across its entrance, is visible as extant structures on 1940s and early 1950s aerial photographs. The structures are similar to those recorded at ARP warden posts (for example NHER 53422), and as Home Guard shelters (for example NHER 32530). Either function is plausible in this case, although no ARP post is recorded here in the main bibliographic source for the period. Given that a similar pair of Home Guard shelters is known from elsewhere in Norwich (NHER 26456) this latter interpretation is perhaps more likely, and they may have been associated with the World War Two road block 200m to the northeast (NHER 53264). Alternatively, they might simply have been used as surface air raid shelters by the local population. Although still visible on aerial photographs taken in 1951, the shelters have since been demolished and the site built over.

Protected Status/Designation

None recorded

Location

Map sheet	TG20NW
Civil Parish	NORWICH, NORWICH, NORFOLK

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Full Description

February 2010. Norfolk NMP.
Two small concrete buildings are visible as extant structures on aerial photographs (S1)-(S3), centred at TG 2048 0933. They may have served as ARP warden posts, Home Guard shelters, or simply public air raid shelters. As they are rather small for public shelters, and as no ARP warden posts are listed at this location by Banger (S4), their interpretation as Home Guard shelters is perhaps most likely, particularly as a similar pair of shelters has been recorded elsewhere in Norwich (NHER 26456). An association with the road block visible 200m to the northeast (NHER 53264) is also possible.
Although not visible until 1944 (S1), there are traces of activity, including paths possibly leading to the shelters, on earlier aerial photographs (for example (S5)), which may indicate they were already in place. Still visible in 1951 (S3), the shelters have since been demolished and the site built over; whether any traces still survive below ground is not known.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 16 February 2010.

Associated Sources (5)

<S1> SNF73354 Vertical Aerial Photograph: USAAF. 1944. US/7PH/GP/LOC258 5008-9 28-MAR-1944 (NMR).
<S2> SNF74790 Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1945. RAF 106G/UK/1007 6230-1 15-NOV-1945 (NMR).
<S3> SNF74794 Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1951. RAF 58/695 (V1) 5016-7 26-MAY-1951 (NMR).
<S4> SNF72656 Monograph: Banger, J.. 2003. Norwich at War.. pp 96-97.
<S5> SNF74723 Vertical Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1942. RAF HLA/447 (FP) 85-6 30-APR-1942 (NMR).

Site and Feature Types and Periods (4)

Object Types (0)

Related NHER Records (1)

Chronological: NHER 53264 - Related to: Site of World War Two road block (Monument)

Record last edited

Jun 15 2010 3:28PM