NHER 21992 (Monument record) - Hardwick World War Two USAAF airfield and possible medieval deer park

The Norfolk Heritage Explorer is a filtered version of the Norfolk HER intended for casual research. Please to consult the full record.

See also further .

Summary

This area was part of a World War Two airfield for the USAAF. It is also suggested that this area may have been a deer park during the medieval period, possibly dating to before the 14th century, although only there is only circumstantial evidence to support this.

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Location

Map sheet TM29SW
Civil Parish SHELTON, SOUTH NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Map

Find a placename, postcode or grid reference

Map layers

Base layers

Info

Record list

Tools

Airfield. USAAF, World War II.
Boundaries from map in source, who suggests airfield occupies area of medieval deer park dating pre-14th century, but produces no evidence for this beyond field boundaries, the name Park Farm, and a reference by (S1) under Norwich bridges to 'Hemenall Park' though this area is in Shelton (Hardwick) parish.
E. Rose (NAU), 29 November 1985.

Photocopy of air photograph taken from (S1) in file, also letter from informant suggesting the boundary of the deer park and cropmarks which they consider earlier. [2]
E. Rose (NLA), 1 October 1991.

Hardwick airfield was built specifically for the use of the USAAF in 1942, opening in September of that year as station 104. The final mission from this site took place in April 1945 and the site then passed to the RAF. It was sold off in 1962.
For further information on the operational history of the airfield and photographs, see (S3).
A. Cattermole (NLA), 13 January 2010.

  • --- Aerial Photograph: TM2590 M-U; TM2591 A-L,V-AD.
  • --- Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1992. [Articles on the proposed conversion of Hardwick World War Two USAAF airfield into a rubbish dump].
  • --- Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
  • --- Secondary File: Secondary File.
  • <S1> Serial: Blomefield, F. 1806. An Essay Towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk. Vol V.
  • <S2> Publication: Freeman, R.. 1978. Airfields of the Eighth.
  • <S3> Monograph: McKenzie, R.. 2004. Ghost Fields of Norfolk. pp 49-51.

Object Types (0)

Related NHER Records (0)

Record last edited

Dec 2 2025 2:40PM

Comments and Feedback

Your feedback is welcome; if you can provide any new information about this record, please contact the Norfolk Historic Environment Record.