NHER 38829 (Monument record) - World War Two air raid shelters

October 2004. Norfolk NMP.
The site of two World War Two public trench shelters for protection during air raids is visible on aerial photographs (S1). A smaller Anderson shelter may be positioned in the back garden of 20 Bernard Road. These larger trench shelters consisted of trenches protected, and in places covered by, banks and presumably sandbags. These shelters back on to Macdonald Road, however there are also located to the north and to the east of Bernard Road, which is the recorded location of a communal shelter during the war (Brooks, 1988:33) (S2). So it is possible that it became known as the Bernard Road shelter despite its positioning on Macdonald Road. The site is centred on TG 2132 4229, although the two main trenches are located at TG 2132 4225 and TG 2133 4233.

The southern trench, which backs onto Bernard Road to the south, forms a rectangular shape, measuring 45m by 30m. The trench is up to 2m wide and it is flanked, and in places covered by, a wide bank. The entrance to the shelter appears to be on the southeastern corner. The northern shelter consists of two smaller rectangular shelters, on either side of a track leading from Bernard Road. The shelter to the south of the track, measures 30m by 15m, and has a raised area with a possible emergency exit hatch and/or vent projecting from the top of the mound. The shelter to the north of the path is 35m by 20m. Again this has an embanked and partially covered trench forming a rectangular shape, with a particularly broad mound on the northern face. Within the central area a sunken area is visible, adjacent to a teardrop shaped mound with traces of a projecting structure or exit hatch.

To the immediate west of the northern shelter, centred on TG 2131 4232, is a smaller rectangular mound, measuring 9m by 4m, with a vent or exit hatch to the north and a possible entrance to the south. This is either a small covered trench shelter or a semi-sunken Anderson shelter. This shelter appears to be in the back garden of 20 Bernard Road.
S. Massey (NMP), 06 October 2004.