NHER 38377 (Monument record) - Site of World War Two pits on Kelling Heath

November 2003. Norfolk NMP.
A dense group of World War Two pits, centred on TG 1005 4246, is visible on RAF aerial photographs from 1946 (S1) and 1950 (S2). The cluster measures 145m by 65m and is situated on a spur of higher ground on the heath. The pits are particularly densely spaced and it is hard to see the individual construction of each. It is possible that these small pits, which are only visible as scars of exposed subsurface material, may be craters from some sort of target practice up on the heath. However more often than not these small pit-like features are weapons pits, formed by a small rectangular trench, often approximately 3m by 1m. The quality of the aerial photographs is such that it is not possible to identify the exact structure of these features, but this interpretation seems the most likely. Large clusters of such features are present at other location on the southern part of the heath (NHER 38378). A possible structure was identified within this large cluster of pits at TG 1007 4248. The feature appears to be 1.5 in diameter and roughly circular, again no further detail could be gained from the aerial photograph. It is entirely possible that this feature is a piece of military equipment remaining on the heath for training, rather than an actual structure.
S. Massey (NMP), 18 November 2003.