NHER 32636 (Monument record) - World War Two 6 inch coastal battery

Slight remains of rare 1940 6in Coastal Battery, abandoned in 1940.
Until recently a section of semi-circular tunnel, possibly connecting gun houses jutted out of the cliff to the east of the lifeboat station.
Information from member of the public [1]. See record form (S1) in file.
D. Walker (NLA), August 1996.

September 2004. Norfolk NMP.
The grid reference for this site has been changed from TG 3850 3098 to TG 3857 3093.
A World War Two coastal battery and associated defences are visible on contemporary aerial photographs ((S2) to (S4)). The two rectangular gun houses for the 6 inch guns are located at TG 3857 3093. In between these is a two storey square structure, probably an observation post, that was camouflaged as a chalet on oblique aerial photographs dating to September 1940 (S2). Two curving concrete paths or tunnels extend inland from each of the gun houses. These are presumably the tunnels referred to above which may have led to buried magazines or stores associated with each gun house. They appear to be covered by earth banks, or possibly camouflage netting, in September 1940. This covering had been removed and the site abandoned by July 1941 (S3). Two rectangular structures located at TG 3851 3098 and TG 3873 3081 are probably coast artillery searchlight houses. Barbed wire defences associated with the gun battery included a trapezoidal area to the northwest surrounding a weapons pit at TG 38455 31005. Both of these defences appear to have been removed by July 1941 (S3). An unidentified structure was also located along the line of the barbed wire 18m to the northeast. Barbed wire defences also extended parallel to Beach Road at TG 3854 3087 and along the front of chalets further along Beach Road at TG 3867 3084 towards the cliff edge to include the southeast searchlight house. A possible type 22 pillbox was located at TG 38580 30865. This was present in September 1940 and still visible in January 1943 ((S2) and (S4)).
J. Albone (NMP), 7 September 2004.