NHER 68043 (Monument record) - Site of Second World War accommodation huts and buildings associated with Wendling Airfield

February 2024. Wendling Beck and Fransham Aerial Investigation and Mapping (AIM) Project.
Second World War accommodation huts, support buildings, roads, tracks, pathways, hard standings, compounds, and air riad shelters are seen as extant buildings and earthworks on aerial photographs (S1-S13). The features consist of groups of huts, buildings and structures interconnected by a series of roads, pathways and trackways. The huts and buildings most likely relate to accommodation and support structures associated with Wendling Airfield (NHER 7275). In between the areas of huts, features such as above ground and below ground air raid shelters, compounds most likely used for storage and a possible tennis court (visible on S4 at approximately TF 9105 1498) are visible on the aerial photographs. The sites can be seen under construction on aerial photographs taken in 1942 (S1-S2) and the full extent of the sites can be seen on aerial photographs taken during (S3) and shortly after the Second World War (S4-S8). Elements of the sites are removed in a piecemeal fashion over time (S9-S10) with some areas subsequently developed over. Some of the huts, buildings and roads can still be seen as extant buildings and structures on more recent (2018 and 2022) aerial photographs (S11 and S13) and on visualised lidar data, from a survey flown in 2017 (S12). The earthworks of some of the under-ground shelters (such as at approximately TF 91121 15751, visible on S11-S13) and the bases of some of the removed huts (such as at approximately TF 9074 1459, visible on S13) are also visible on the recent aerial photographs and visualised lidar data.
J. Powell (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 20 February 2024.