NHER 38893 (Monument record) - World War Two coastal defences and training area

October 2004. Norfolk NMP.
A large area of World War Two coastal defences and training features, such as a multiple slit trenches sections, gun emplacements and a barbed wire enclosure, are located on the cliffs to the east of Beach Road, Runton (S1-5). The site is centred on TG 2053 4261. These structures sit within a much larger spread of World War Two defences and military sites, which provided coastal protection and training areas along the cliff tops between Cromer and Runton, such as NHER 38529, 38883, 38899.

A three-sided barbed wire enclosure is centred on TG 2044 4264, separating off approximately 200m by 80m of the Runton cliffs (S2). This enclosure surrounds a dispersed group of military sites. The barbed wire has a southern break or entrance at TG 2043 4259. At which point a rectangular, 5.5m by 2m, hut or structure has been placed. At TG 2043 4266 is a zigzag stretch of slit trench, approximately 42m long. This trench sits on the edge of the cliff and leads to a pair of rectangular concrete structure, interpreted as gun emplacements. A small section of trench branches off to the south and located within the terminus is a small rectangular structure, approximately. This may be a further gun position. The larger rectangular coastal facing gun emplacements are both 2m by 1.5m and are located at TG 2044 4267 and TG 2042 4267. A further structure is located at TG 2040 4266. This structure has a flat northern face, 3m across and a tapering or triangular southern side. This is also interpreted as a gun emplacement or similar defensive structure. A further gun emplacement is located to the east of the enclosure at TG 2052 4264, cut into the field boundary bank. On the 7th August 1941 the site appears to consist of a wedge-shaped, pit, 3m long, which is surrounded by an upcast bank, open to the north and the cliff edge (S2). On an oblique aerial photograph taken of that stretch of coast 3 weeks later, a possible low angular structure appears to be projecting from the former pit (S3). A possible inner structure may also be visible in 1940 (S1), although the aerial photograph is not particularly clear.

To the east of the barbed wire enclosure is a group of zigzag slit trenches, running along the cliff top (S2). The most extensive runs from TG 2062 4259 to TG 2070 4256 and is flanked either side by a narrow upcast bank. Clustered around the western end of the slit trench are several shorted sections of slit trenches and elongated weapons pits. Two large pits hav also been dug into the bank of an existing field boundary running south to Runton Road. These may also have acted as weapons pits. By 1946 a further slit trench, a zigzag shaped bank with a narrow ditch, is visible to the immediate south east of the larger 1941 trench (S5).

Several additional structures and earthworks are also visible within the barbed wire enclosure in 1946. Including a line of four huts at TG 2050 4262, although it is not entirely clear whether these are military in origin or not. These are not present in 1942 (S6), however by 1946 a well-worn path leads to them (S4) and they have been removed by 1952 (S7). There is a slightly sunken circular area to the immediate north of these structures, which has a central protruding feature. This is likely to relate to a former gun emplacement or position. A further probable gun emplacement is visible within the barbed wired area in June 1946 at TG 2043 4262 (S4). This defined by a curvilinear, clover leaf-shaped bank, 12m across at its widest. Within the centre is a possible small projecting, circular structure, removed by December 1946 (S5).
See (S1-7).
S. Massey (NMP) 21 October 2004.

May-November 2004. Norfolk Rapid Coastal Zone Archaeological Survey.
Potentially related material noted during Inter-tidal survey (Environmental Zone 15) recorded under NHER 41567.
See assessment report (S8) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 1 July 2015.