ONGAR HILL GUN BATTERY, NORFOLK, JAN 2012

[simonix]

Visited yesterday with oneandsix, weather was awful but it was worth the walk. I cannot find much information on the place only that it was in operation between 1940 and 1943. As the threat of any invasion decreased, the guns were moved to Northumberland.
Remaining is a magazine, left hand gun house, battery observation post, right hand gun house, genny rooms and a close defence blockhouse.

















Thanks

[SaltGeorge]

It's always a pleasure to see this site, it's easily overlooked unless you know it's there

The best summary of the history is on the NHER record for the site. The 2003 update is reasonably accurate, but the best information on the structures is from a post-war coastal defence survey in the archives (paper only, no e-copy).

When I mapped the defence survey onto GE looks like this..

Edit: Normal service will be resumed shortly..

Green pins are structures confirmed on the ground as extant or visible remains, yellow are still to be confirmed or suspected lost. The yellow shading projects the apparent defensive perimiter from 1946 aerial photographs (from E-map Explorer), but it needs to be remembered that by 1946 the site had been disused for four years and details have been overgrown.

The brick storehouse was at least party defended/defendable with embrasure loops and is of a construction consistent with the other buildings. The NHER record assigns #1 and #2 as engine rooms (generator sets?) and #3 as magazine.


Yes.. this is a pet site of mine.

[urban phantom]

Looks intresting nice work

[KingElvis]

Great stuff and the map work is very interesting, one I need to have a look at when I get down in a month or so.

Thanks for posting chaps.

[simonix]

Thanks for the info SaltGeorge, it is a great example of a nearly complete battery. I shall return on a better day and spend some time up there, so if your going KE lets us know.