NHER 50846 (Monument record) - World War Two searchlight site

February 2008. Norfolk NMP
A World War Two searchlight site is visible on aerial photographs (S1). A group of at least four military huts were located immediately to the west of Long Drove, East Winch. A track leads from these buildings to the northwest corner of the site, where a circular earthwork mound existed. This feature had a central pit and has been identified as a light anti-aircraft machine gun emplacement. A circular searchlight emplacement comprising a concrete path with a 10m diameter is present in the southwest corner of the site. This has been identified by [1] as an emplacement for a 150cm Mk3 projector searchlight. This searchlight type, which was mounted on a four-wheeled trailer, is probably visible as a rectangular object (not mapped) in the centre of the emplacement. Site of this type, for the 150cm projector searchlight, is more unusual than those for the 90cm projector searchlight. The structures had been removed and the majority of the site had been returned to arable cultivation by January 1946 (S2).
J. Albone (NMP), 1 February 2008.

November-December 2011 and May 2012. Geophysical Survey.
Magnetometer survey of proposed mineral extraction area.
A number of strong bipolar anomalies were identified at the site of this searchlight battery, which may represent associated remains or areas of disturbance.
See NHER 65428 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 8 April 2024.

February-March 2012. Trial Trenching.
Evaluation of site of proposed mineral extraction.
One of the trenches was positioned to investigated one of several geophysical anomalies recorded at the site of this searchlight battery. No associated remains were uncovered.
See report (S3) and NHER 65428 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 8 April 2024.

November 2018. Trial Trenching.
Further evaluation of proposed mineral extraction area.
Two additional trenches excavated close to the site of this searchlight battery also revealed no associated remains.
See report (S4) and NHER 65428 for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 8 April 2024.