NHER 42273 (Monument record) - World War Two air raid shelters on Church Road, Gorleston on Sea

January 2006. Norfolk NMP.
A large group of World War Two air raid shelters and associated structures is visible on aerial photographs within the grounds of the ‘East Anglian School for Deaf and Partially Sighted Children’ to the west of Church Road, Gorleston (S1 and S2). The site is centred on TG 5243 0475. The shelters would have protected both the staff and students attending the school, although the large numbers of shelters could also suggest that it served nearby inhabitants and possibly also had a military use. The East Anglian School is recorded as having been damaged by bomb raids on the 11th July 1941 (S3: p42)

In July 1944 (S1) a series of elongated rectangular flat roofed structures or sheds are visible positioned alongside the southern edge of the site. The smallest of the four measure 35m by 5.5m and the largest, 60m by 11m. These fairly plain and uniform buildings are likely to have been existing structures, however the aerial photographs evidence suggests that these had been adapted to be used as surface air raid shelters. To the immediate west of one of the larger shelters, two entrance slots can be seen cut into the ground surface. Also in August 1945 (S2), after the rectangular huts or structures have been removed, a further slot can be identified cut into to the ground below the location of the largest surface structure. A concrete layer, possibly relating to a subsurface structure surrounds this slot. This could suggest that the interior of the large rectangular sheds were being used as surface air raid shelters or at least were providing access to subsurface shelters. These sheds are all removed by 1945 again indicating their usage during the war (S2).

In 1945 further earth covered air raid shelters were visible (S2). One is located to the immediate north of the two larger sheds at TG 5250 0471, measuring 7m by 4.5m. This has a clearly defined and surfaced entrance to the east, although the trench and associated bank to the west may also have marked an entrance. To the north at TG 5252 0476 is a further large earth covered shelter, measuring approximately 20m by 8m, although its exact size is obscured by tree coverage. The shelter has two elongated rectangular entrances. A further mounded shelter component to the immediate east may be conjoined to the main structure, although again this is obscured from view. A third smaller oblong shelter is located at TG 5250 0476, measuring 8.5m by 4m. At TG 5240 0475, nearer to the main buildings, is a further large covered shelter, 22.5m by 9m with two entrances leading off from a path (S1 and S2). A series of structures are visible at this location in 1947 (S3) and it is possible that these are components of the shelters once the earth covering had been removed. In 1944 (S1) towards the rear of the buildings at TG 5233 0479 is a rectangular structure, with a possible curved profile, perhaps indicating a nissen hut, is visible. This may be an structure associated with the school, although it has been removed by 1947 (S4). A similarly sized concrete base at TG 5239 0478 could indicate the former presence of a second hut. At TG 5235 0474 is a small circular and possibly concrete structure, having the appearance of a spigot mortar emplacement although the aerial photographs are not clear enough to be definite.
S. Massey (NMP), 03 January 2006.