WW2 Defences - Holme - next - the - Sea - Norfolk, (Pic Heavy) January 2012

[Tankman]

This was a typical winter! January down on the Norfolk coast is not one of the most warmest times to go bunker hunting I was staying in Hunstanton over the weekend, so a good 2 hour foot slog along the dunes seemed to be in order!

I was pleasantly surprised at what I uncovered, and certainly a lot of unanswered questions about some of the defences I found?

On with the Pics:



This stretch of coastline is one of constant erosion and shifting sands as the abandoned sea defences will testify.



First up was this spigot mortar base, located next to a break in the dunes, closer inspection revealed another one 10 yards away hiding in the gorse.

A further 10 min walk into "No Mans Land" literally, no habitation for miles around! I came across a heavily concreted air raid shelter buried back in the dunes.





Although this does not go back a long way, (more like a room) access either side signifies that this was of some importance. Not to far from here I came across some narrow gauge railway lines in the dunes, and very soon another air raid shelter buried nearly up to its roof in sand.



There was obviously something significant that was in this area, I suspect that the a lot has been covered by the shifting sands. Looking from a vantage point and the lay of the land there appears to be a trench system evident this was soon verified by a strange bunker/pillbox, (that aligned itself with the shelter above) that I have never come across before, located some 150 yards away along the trench.



Looking along the trench line, centre is the buried bunker/pillbox.



Interior of the buried bunker/pillbox, not to sure of this one? it does not look like a PB, with the side windows, that would have faced out onto the beach.

From here, what appears to be an anti tank ditch soon comes into view, walking along the ditch several barbed wire entanglement stakes can be seen buried partially in the sides of the ditch.



At the end of the ditch a big Blockhouse defends the corner of the anti tank ditch, it then does a 360 degree turn back on itself and runs off to form a compound?



Inside the blockhouse (right building in above photo) are the remains of what looks like a small pulley/conveyor, its purpose is unknown?





Some of these buildings are on the DOB database but there purpose is unknown? Certainly at this time of the year with the vegitation down, the landscape can be better viewed and an idea of the size of this place can be ascertained, was there a big anti aircraft complex here or something different that has been buried in the dunes?

One for the Norfolk boys to come up with some answers?
Over to you!

Thanks for looking

[KingElvis]

Superb thread mate and it looks really interesting, pulleys and conveyors usually mean shells? mortar shells?

[simonix]

Good work, walked miles looking for this, looks like I was walking the wrong way. Dont know many details but it is written that this was a training ground area in WW2, tank driving and beach landing etc, there were several tank traps with trenches and a couple of mine fields listed.

[simonix]

Thanks to your thread, I now know that I drove right past it! Then parked and walked the wrong way! Bummer!

[KingElvis]

Might look at this in March, interesting indeed.

[Tankman]

I think there is a lot more to find, just ran out of time. The anti tank ditch and trenches are numerous, defo, more to this place than meets the eye! The narrow gauge railway track was a strange thing to find?

[simonix]

This place must have some connections to the tank firing range at Titchwell up the road. Maybe the Holme site was the magazine for the shells etc, this would explain the narrow gauge railway and pulleys.

[SaltGeorge]

This is Holme Dune ranges, I've done a couple of visits including a walk around with the NWT warden based at The Firs and had a chat with the folk at the NOA observatory. Which reminds me, I'm supposed to be finishing an outline history of the site for the NOA.



The red, blue and yellow lines mark target tracks for cable-hauled target trolleys (I'm not convinced about the yellow one, I think this was a protected walkway or a/t dicth). There are five of the bunkers that you have found. I believe that these were shelters for crews maintaining the targets/trolleys.

At the apex of the three lines is a substantial complex that held the winching machinery. This is the building with the pully block.

There is an additional observation or coast watch shelter built into the dunes. Near the track is what appears to be a NG inspection pit. At the entrance to the site a concrete range flag post baseis still in situ. Documentation in the county archives indicates that there were two abandoned AFV hulks and a piles of NG rail awaiting collection/disposal after the second world war. The hardstanding firing points can still be seen on aerial photographs, and the warden reports that they are concrete. The observation tower noted in the archives has long gone.

The purple area is really interesting, this would appear to be one or two racetrack MTRs.

The history and use all get a bit muddled though. Part of the site was Hunstanton Aero Range in the 1930s. At some time anti-invasion defences were built, still evident as a line of A/T ditches in the dunes (parallel to the red line on the seaward side). The River Hun had already been straightened, but this was widened and/or deepened to form a second A/T ditch behind the dunes. I think there's something similar going on at Heacham where the two FW3/28a pillboxes are sited next to the roadblock on the bridge. Aerial photographs taken just after the war appear to show a minefield having been cleared to the WNW of the entrance to Holme Dunes reserve.

I didn't know about the two SM bases you mention, there's a third way across the other side of the reserve heading towards the coalhouse at Thornham. I'd be interested to know exactly where these are so I can plot them on the map. I do know that there were Allan Williams turrets in the area and extensive wire defences (I have a note of a triple danert apron taken from maps in the archives).

I suspect that there are at least two phases of use, or at least a substantial upgrade, during the 39-45 period. The North Norfolk coast gets very confusing from a military history point of view, and I've not found a publication that really reflects this. Holme shows intermittent usage between 1930 and 1945. Brancaster had some hush-hush beach landings trials as well as a range of it's own, ane there was possibly an additional range at Thornham. Titchwell has at least two phases with the WW2 tank gunnery range on the current RSPB reserve and a post-war air-to-ground range to the immediate west. But even that's not clear as there are structures predating this still present. And that's before we get into the various small arms ranges in the area as well!

There are still several days of document exploration in the archives needed to put all this together.

[Tankman]

Thanks SG, for that explanation, I knew you would come up with the answers
The trenches must have been pretty deep, if you go by the filled in shelters and buildings. I reckon there is more laying under the dunes, especially where the NR track is.

The two Spigot mortars lay just beyond the end of a line of beach huts, just before the Golf course ends! One is visible from the path, the other can be seen in the gorse.

I took quite a few photos of the Anti tank ditch and trenches, so if you need anymore, happy to oblige.



From your description: This photo was taken looking back, down the red line, towards the building below and beyond this the winch/blockhouse.



This lays in the centre of the red line on your plan, and is nearly covered in sand, so it gives you some idea of the depth of the trench!



Rear of the above building.

The trench line then leads on to the winch/block house.



The winch/Blockhouse and the defence line (yellow line on your map) running away towards the NWT's house.



Furthest away shelter I found, buried in the bushes, the NG track can just be seen sticking up! Lower left in photo. There are two mounds visible in the photo, and what appears to be some sort of entrance in the middle? The left mound has an inner defence line/ditch.

[KingElvis]

Brilliant thread fellas, just excellent.