NHER 15557 (Monument record) - World War Two defences

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Summary

This is the possible site of a World War two defensive structure that was revealed by tidal scouring in 1978 and 1979. There is some confusion about this site which may be part of NHER 26772. It may be a pillbox, gun emplacement or searchlight battery.

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Location

Map sheet TF74NE
Civil Parish BRANCASTER, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Map

1978 to 1979.
Quarter of a mile east of club house.
Pill box. Exposed by scouring of tide 1978 and 1979.
E. Rose (NAU), 19 December 1979.

22 April 1982.
Grid reference corrected by E. Rose (NAU).

February 1995. Field Observation.
This is more like an observation post but may be a gun position. Brick, open front with concrete hood. There seems to be a confusion with one of the other sites locally as this feature seems always to have been visible high in the sand dunes.
This is the righthand searchlight for battery NHER 31113. Demolished. Base remains photographed 1995 (S4). Had anti-invasion scaffolding in front.
See Defensive Structures Survey Recording Form (S2).
D. Gurney (NLA) 14 March 1995.

April 2002. Norfolk NMP.
No structure visible at this location (TF 7778 4533) on aerial photographs from 1946 (S5), 1969 (S6), 1972 (S7) and 1988 (S8). Could this have been mistaken for the structure at TF 77562 45269?
Probably part of NHER 26772.
M. Brennand (NMP), 30 April 2002.

  • --- Secondary File: Secondary File.
  • <S1> Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
  • <S2> Recording Form: [various]. Norfolk Defensive Structures Survey Recording Form. Norfolk Defensive Structures Survey.
  • <S3> Article in Serial: Iosson, E.. 1990. NW Norfolk Coastal defences.. NIAS Journal. Vol 4, no 5, p 194.
  • <S4> Photograph: HAZ 32-35, HAZ.
  • <S5> Aerial Photograph: RAF. 1946. RAF 106G/UK/1571 3015 07-JUN-1946 (SMR TF 7745A).
  • <S6> Aerial Photograph: Hunting Surveys Ltd. 1969. HSL UK 69949 0066 20-NOV-1969 (SMR TF 7744AA).
  • <S7> Vertical Aerial Photograph: Ordnance Survey. 1972. OS/72005 100 22-MAR-1972.
  • <S8> Vertical Aerial Photograph: BKS. 1988. BKS 8271 27-MAY-1988 (NCC 0766).

Object Types (0)

Related NHER Records (0)

Record last edited

Mar 18 2026 3:48PM

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