NHER 17818 (Monument record) - World War One slit trenches

31 July 1977.
NAU air photography.
Cropmarks.
World War Two slit trenches, as cropmarks.
D. Edwards (NAU), 17 March 1981.

See record form in file by source [1], who adds:
Rare slit trenches, either dating from 1940, or possibly 1916/18.
Ruinous.
Survey No. D2-39.
D. Walker (NLA), July 1996.

March 2004, Norfolk NMP.
(The site was been extended to the east and therefore the centre point has been altered from TG 1140 4359 to TG 1150 4358).
Cropmarks of possible World War One slit and practice trenches are visible on aerial photographs along the coast at Weybourne (S1-2).
The clearest cropmark response of these trenches was produced on oblique aerial photographs from 1977 (S2). These show a loop of trenches around TG 1141 4360. These appear to have mainly consisted of projecting ‘bastion’ type crenellations. Coming off this loop are a series of radial straight or curvilinear sections of trench. These trenches, plus additional features to the east, are visible as soilmarks as early as 1941 (S1). The eastern area of trenches is centred on TG 1158 4359 and mainly consists of straight and zigzag lines. The fact that these trenches appear to have been destroyed and in some case built on top of by 1941 (NHER 38561), could be taken to suggest that these date to World War One, although it is possible that they represent practice trenches from very early in World War Two. The predomination of crenellated design, compared to zigzag, would also suggest a World War One date.
(S1-2)
S. Massey (NMP) 31 March 2004.