NHER 52497 (Monument record) - World War Two railblock on the Norfolk Railway

November 2009. Norfolk NMP.
A World War Two railblock is evident as a group of structures visible on aerial photographs (S1)-(S2), centred at TG 2123 0527. It was positioned along the Norfolk Railway (NHER 13571; also known as the Norwich and Brandon Railway, NMR TG 20 NW LINEAR 1085), in a strategic location to the east of two rail bridges crossing the River Yare. It was one of several railblocks located along this railway line; others nearby include NHER 52496 620m to the east and NHER 53251 approximately 660m further down the line to the west. Many of the other railway lines leading to and from Norwich were equipped with similar defences (for example NHER 52494 on the Ipswich to Norwich or Norwich to Diss Railway, NHER 13578, 1.5km to the east).
The railblock was relatively insubstantial compared to some others (such as NHER 52496), and appears to have consisted of two lines of sockets spanning the line into which anti-tank rails or similar obstacles could be inserted (only the sockets are visible). Two flanking concrete blocks are also visible, together with a third block or small structure on the south side of the line (the latter could relate to the railway rather than the World War Two defence). The railblock appears to have been removed by April 1946 (S3), when photographs do not actually show it but there are clear signs of recent activity. Whether any element of the site still survives in its original location is not known.
S. Tremlett (NMP), 30 November 2009.