NHER 40825 (Monument record) - World War Two air raid shelter and post medieval dene hole

10 October 2004. Found in digging footings in garden immediately north of house. 56 Wilton Road. Visit.
Air raid shelter of brick, aligned east to west, World War Two. Single chamber.
Beneath the floor, a chalk mine, bell shaped but dome destroyed by the shelter. Diameter 2.20m east to west, 1.75m north to south. Excavated before visit to depth of 2.30m which seems to be more or less the bottom. Small tunnels lead off, one to northeast exposed for 1.5m and one to southwest exposed for 0.69m, but both clearly continue down at an angle; bases of tunnels not exposed. Chalk in side of shaft is in tabular blocks. Backfill consisted of black soil full of many complete glass 'alley' bottles mostly from Mildenhall firms but also many others including a Potter the Otter from Thetford but made in Walsall; also several stoneware jars stamped Mildenhall, Stoke Ferry, Setch and Doultons. Iron objects, one embossed KING. The adjacent house, which once stood isolated, belonged to the Hockwold Hall estate and is constructed of clunch with a mid 19th century brick façade and a red brick rear wing. It seems improbable, but not impossible, that the mine was used to get the chalk for the house.
See (S1) in file.
E. Rose (NLA), 11 October 2004.