NHER 38789 (Monument record) - Site of World War Two coastal defences

September 2004. Norfolk NMP.
World War Two coastal defences are visible on aerial photographs at Walcott ((S1) to (S11)). These defences are centred around TG 3592 3297. A continuous line of anti tank cubes extended along the sea front between TG 35620 33180 and TG 36020 32890. All cubes on the seaward side of the former course of the road were present by July and August 1941 ((S4) to (S7)). Two cubes at the northern end of the group, on the southeast side of a gap left for access to the beach, and two at TG 35750 33070, blocking another access point, were in position by August 1940 (S3). Also present in 1941 were six cubes at TG 35745 33055 and a group either side of the road at TG 35945 32920 ((S4), (S6) and (S7)). An additional line of cubes were placed between these two points by January 1943 (S8). This appears to have been necessary as the original line had been damaged by erosion by that date. These cubes, and some of those in the original 1941 line, were still in position in 1952 (S10).

Barbed wire defences were located on the beach at TG 35770 33085 and TG 35915 32995 by August 1940 ((S1) to (S3)). Beach or anti tank scaffolding was present on either side of the anti tank cubes and extending further to the southeast on 1941 aerial photographs ((S4) to (S7)). A pillbox, probably a type 22, was located at TG 35860 33015. It is not clearly visible on World War Two aerial photographs, but is present on the beach in 1952 (S10). A second type 22 pillbox was located at TG 36230 32760 by August 1940 (S1). In August 1941 it was camouflaged as a rectangular flat-roofed building (S5). Two weapons pits located to the southeast and west of this pillbox are visible on 1943 and 1946 aerial photographs ((S8) to (S9)). An unidentified concrete block, approximately 2m square, is visible on the beach at TG 36280 32735 following the February 1953 storms (S11). It is not visible on earlier aerial photographs, but may be of World War Two origin. These defences were positioned to protect a relatively weak point on the coast where only low cliffs and dunes provided a natural defence. A possible temporary military camp was located 200m inland (NHER 38783). See also coastal defences to the southeast (NHER 38787) and northwest (NHER 38791).
J. Albone (NMP), 10 September 2004.

(S12) in file indicates anti-tank defences were removed in 1976.
E. Rose (NLA), 31 July 2006.