Monument record BLX 022 - Second World War military training and defences

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Summary

An area of Second World War military training and defences is visible on aerial photographs on Blaxhall Common/Heath, which falls within the Orford Battle Training Area (ORF 137). The main defensive component of the site is a system of anti-glider trenches – although it is possible that these were in part dug as a training exercise. The reminder of the heath is covered with weapons pits, dug outs and short trenches, some of which are aligned along the roadside. The Lidar imagery for this site indicates many of the glider trenches remain as earthworks on the heath.

Location

Grid reference	Centred TM 6379 2565 (1347m by 1185m)
Map sheet	TM62NW
Civil Parish	BLAXHALL, SUFFOLK COASTAL, SUFFOLK

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Type and Period (5)

Full Description

November 2015. Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Beauty National Mapping Programme.
An area of Second World War military training and defences is visible on aerial photographs (S1-S3) on Blaxhall Common/Heath, which falls within the Orford Battle Training Area. The main defensive component of the site is a system of anti-glider trenches – although it is possible that these were in part dug as a training exercise. The reminder of the heath is covered with weapons pits, dug outs and short trenches, some of which are aligned along the roadside.
The Lidar imagery for this site indicates many of the glider trenches, and potentially some of the smaller features remain as earthworks on the heath (S4).
S. Horlock (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 25th November 2015.
Anti Landing Trenches visible on a 1946 vertical Aerial Photograph (S5).

Sources/Archives (5)

<S1> SSF55745 Vertical Aerial Photograph: Vertical aerial photograph. RAF/106G/UK/832 RP 3146-3148 23-SEP-1945 (EHA Original Print).
<S2> SSF55745 Vertical Aerial Photograph: Vertical aerial photograph. RAF/106G/UK/832 RP 3138-3139 23-SEP-1945 (EHA Original Print).
<S3> SSF55745 Vertical Aerial Photograph: Vertical aerial photograph. RAF/106G/UK/929 RP 3318-3319 16-OCT-1945 (EHA Original Print).
<S4> SSF55747 LIDAR Airborne Survey: LIDAR airborne survey. LIDAR TM3856 Environment Agency 2m DTM 03-OCT-2012.
<S5> SSF61605 Machine readable data file: Thompson, S. 2020. Pillbox Study Group, unrecorded defence sites for inclusion in the HER.

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Protected Status/Designation

None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Part of: Orford Battle Training Area (Monument) (ORF 137)

Related Events/Activities (1)

Event - Interpretation: TM35SE. Mapping Block 2: Wantisden to Tunstall. NMP National Mapping Programme Project for Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Ref: English Heritage Project No. 7085) (ESF23557)

Record last edited

Jun 7 2024 2:49PM