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Summary

A World War Two, and possibly Boer War, military site and gunnery school (USAAF) can be seen in the form of earthwork enclosures, structures and a camp (including curved profile huts) on aerial photographs from 1944-46, 1952, 1953 and 1967. The camp was dismantled after the war, and it is now the site of a caravan park (apparently the huts were used at the end of the war as a Prisoner of War camp).

However, the remains of the military earthworks and some structures can still be seen in the coastal park, and are visible on more recent NLA and BKS aerial photographs. Part of the site consists of a World War Two period Air Gunners School moving target rail, formed from a concrete base with an iron track, visible on 1944 vertical images.

Monument Type(s)

• BUTTS (Post Medieval to 21st Century - 1540 AD to 2100 AD)
• ENCLOSURE (Post Medieval to 21st Century - 1540 AD to 2100 AD)
• FORTIFICATION (Post Medieval to 21st Century - 1540 AD to 2100 AD)
• ARTILLERY SCHOOL (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• LINEAR FEATURE (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• MILITARY CAMP (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• PRISONER OF WAR CAMP (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• STRUCTURE (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)
• TANK TRAP (World War Two - 1939 AD to 1945 AD)

Protected Status

• SHINE

Full description

? Fortification.

Polygonal enclosure marked on 6inch Ordnance Survey map as double line, with embankment crossing one end and turning to follow two sides of enclosure, and other embankments forming half of rectangle on east exterior of enclosure.
Shown on NLA unit aerial photograph 15 July 1986 - appears more rounded on photograph, probably an illusion - it is possible the north
end of enclosure has been removed and the present north end is the biscecting bank shown on Ordnance Survey ma[, but this is not clear (A. Gregory says the bisecting bank has gone).
Visited by A. Gregory who reports earth banks of enclosure up to 8ft (2.4m) high and clearly defensive. Unknown Date and purpose. Does not overlook either Old or New Lynn Channels, so improbable to be Civil War, and does not seem to be 20th century type.
? Could this be a late 19th/early 20th fort to defend the approach to Sandringham; compare those erected at this time near Windsor Castle etc.
E. Rose, 3 December 1986.

April 1991.
Approximate area of earthworks, now in country park, is stated on a notice to have been a World War Two gunnery school, from which a concrete track with iron rails used for moving targets remains; and 'to north' a set of butts used in the Boer War. Need detailed examination with use of map to establish any relationship between these uses and the earthwork.
See (S1) for plan and description, and plan of tank trap nearby.
E. Rose, 27 September 1991

19 June 1995. NLA aerial photography.
Earthworks visible.
H. Clare (NLA), 18 April 2001.

May 2001. Norfolk NMP.
A World War Two (and possibly earlier in parts) military site and gunnery school (USAAF) can be seen in the form of earthwork enclosures, structures and a camp (including curved profile huts) on vertical RAF 1944-46 (S4-S6), 1952 (S11), RAF floodlight 1953 (S7) and OS 1967 (S8) aerial photographs. The camp was dismantled after the war (visible as building platforms in the 1952-3 aerial photographs) and it is now the site of a caravan park (apparently, the huts were used at the end of the war as a Prisoner of War camp). However, the remains of the military earthworks and some structures can still be seen in the coastal park and are still visible on more recent NLA oblique and BKS vertical air photograph (S9-10).
The area in general was in military use over a range of dates - apparently Boer War to World War Two. During World War Two it was used as a gunnery school by the USA Air Force (American 8th Air Force). A notice at the site states that in addition to the World War Two gunnery school, from which a concrete track with iron rails used for moving targets remains; there are 'a set of butts used in the Boer War'. These Boer War butts are hard to distinguish. However, the area still contains the remains of two synthetic air- to-air machine gun ranges, the larger of which appears to be built to an Air Ministry design called a turret range. These structures were part of the World War Two gunnery school.
The group of military earthworks is visible on the RAF 1944-46 (S3-5) and Floodlight (1953) (S7) aerial photographs, and the OS 1967 aerial photograph (S8). Part of the complex is still visible on more recent NLA and BKS photography (S9-10). All of the earthworks appear very clear and new looking on the RAF 1940’s aerial photographs. It seems likely that they are of World War Two date, or at least post 1905 (these earthworks are not marked on the 2nd edition OS (1905) (S13). (The individual features of the training area have been mapped, but an extent of area has also been added).
This group of earthworks consists of banks forming an elongated hexagonal enclosure (aligned northwest to southeast and ranging from NGR TF6481 3375 to TF6488 3361 - centred on TF6485 3367) with another bank contained inside. The internal earthwork follows three sides of a hexagon, and is located within the north-western half of the main enclosure (between TF6480 3369 and TF6487 3371). To the north of these earthworks is a smaller round banked enclosure (centred on NGR TF6489 3381 with a diameter of around 90m) which also contains a bank in the form of three sides of a hexagon in its north-western half. To the east of the main enclosure (and to the south-east of the smaller one) there is a large bank that zig-zags northeast to southwest. The northern most section of this bank is adjacent to the small enclosure. It is aligned northeast to southwest (from NGR TF6496 3380 to TF6487 3374) with its western most end abutting the main enclosure.
The central section of the ‘zig-zag’ (NGR TF6490 3374 to TF6492 3362) is adjacent to the main enclosure. At its most south-westerly point it turns to form the southern and last section of the 'zig-zag' (NGR TF6492 3362 to TF6483 3358) - the central section of this last part is adjacent to the south-east side of the main enclosure. There are additional banks, ditches, tracks and tank traps associated with this complex and the remains of three bomb craters (centred at NGR TF6481 3351) are visible about 40/50m to the southwest of the main area. An area of disturbed ground (centred at NGR TF6489 3358) is to the south of (and attached to) the last section of ‘zig-zag’. The site covers an area of about 250/300m by 450m.
There also appears to be some form of wall visible on the RAF 1946 photographs (S4). It is located at the back (inland side) of sea defence structures (NHER 26640) which are on the beach to the west (on the seaward side) of this military complex. This wall is about 850m long, ranging from approximately NGR TF6466 3330 to NGR TF6496 3407. It seems likely that this is associated with the military complex and is some form of temporary structure. (This wall has not been plotted).
Directly to the south of the military earthworks described above there was a World War II military camp (centred on NGR TF6469 3309). This camp consisted of numerous ‘curved profile huts’ and the extent of area for this complex has been mapped (as opposed to each individual building). These buildings ran in rows roughly parallel to the coastline. The camp ranged from around NGR TF6474 3348 to the north and TF6477 3267 to the south. This camp is visible on the RAF 1944 and 45 (S4-S5) aerial photographs and some of the curved profile huts can still be seen on the RAF 1946 aerial photographs (S6). However, the camp has been completely dismantled by the time more RAF photographs were taken in 1952 (S11), and the Floodlight photographs in 1953 (S7). The building platforms are visible on both of these sources. Subsequently the area has been turned into a caravan park.
Also located within the limits of the camp were a series of small structures. These have been mapped. In one area they appear to be a slightly curving row of ten small blocks (exact shape of blocks unclear on scan of image mapped from) - possibly anti-tank blocks - and these are located between around NGR TF6466 3333 and TF6468 3340, just behind the groyne sea defences (NHER 26640). Still on the beach, but further to the south, around NGR TF6468 3323 (centre), there appears to be two parallel rows of the same blocks (six in each row) - these are approximately 10m apart and run from around NGR TF6468 3321 to TF6468 3324. Two other circular structures are visible on the beach side of the camp; one is located at NGR TF6463 3315 (which is near to a square building/hut) and the other is at TF6467 3289. The use of these structures is unclear, but it seems likely that they are connected to the military camp in some way. There also appears to be further structures along the beach side of the camp, however these can only just be made out and their exact form and use is unclear.
H. Clare (NMP), 13 June 2001.

August 2001. Norfolk NMP.
The linear feature runs northwards from the eastern end of a line of anti-tank cubes in NHER 32386 (TF 6942 3386) curving to the west around the northern earthwork of NHER 23145 (TF 6515 3354) with an overall length of approximately 400m. This structure was the platform for a small gauge rail for mounting a moving target (S3), utilised for practice by an American Airforce gunnery school. The remains of the northern end of the structure and the rusted tracks were still visible in 2001.
This is only one element of the gunnery school, which has earthwork enclosures and butts situated to the west.
M. Brennand (NMP), 7 August 2001.

Sources and further reading