NHER 54282 (Monument record) - World War Two military camp and training area

July 2010. Norfolk NMP.
The site of a World War Two military camp and a training area dating to World War One – Two is visible on aerial photographs to the north of Britannia Barracks and on the southern part of Mousehold Heath, Norwich (S1-S9). The site is centred on TG 2447 0991 and consists of a small military camp and associated structures and training areas. Within the eastern part of the camp three firing/shooting ranges are visible (S3-4). A structure, which has a comparable outline to those facing the World War Two targets, is visible to the north at TG 2447 0992 (S6-7) and it is possible that this relates to another small shooting range, although this is not certain and it may relate to World War One, or earlier, activity at the site as it may be visible on an aerial photograph from 1933 (S2).
To the east of the main area of huts are a complex system of crenellated and zig-zag slit trenches in 1942 (S3-S4) and small possible earthen-covered shelters in the later part of World War Two (S6-S7). The slit trenches in this area appear quite fresh in 1942, although to the immediate north, centred on TG 2451 0985, are the remains of four circular World War One emplacements and a length of backfilled crenellated trench (S1). Traces of the emplacements can also be detected on later aerial photographs, for example (S6, S9). The faint outline of the crenellated trench that appears freshly dug in 1942 is also apparent, which would suggest that a World War One trench was re-dug and incorporated into the later military site. Another area of zig-zag trenches are also visible in 1917, centred on TG 2467 0975 (S1). By 1942 the location of these has been subsumed by the quarry.
The area of heathland to the north of the camp has been used for military training during the both wars, with evidence of weapons pits, short trenches and craters dispersed across the area (S1-S9). An area of short slot trenches and/or weapons pits are visible within the extreme eastern part of the site (S5). Compared with other similar features nearby, these examples appear less fresh and show no definite signs of being recent in 1945. It is therefore possible that these relate to World War One training activity or extremely early in World War Two. A number of possible small structures and earthworks are visible within the heathland to the north of the camp, dating to post-1942 period (S6, S8), however the function of them is uncertain and only a limited number of the features were included within the mapping.
S. Horlock (NMP), 01 July 2010

See also NHER 58732.
D. Gurney (HES), 08 March 2013.