Monument record IKL 352 - Probable Frist World War trenches.

This record is for the earthwork and cropmark features recorded by the Brecakland National Mapping Programme which most likely related to the Frist World War Elveden Explosive Area. For further details about the Elveden Explosive Area see (WSW 101)

June 2019. Breckland National Mapping Programme.
Multiple areas of Frist World War training trenches are seen as cropmarks and earthworks on aerial photographs and visualised lidar data (S1-S6). The trenches are most likely part of the “Elveden Explosive Area” Frist World War tank training site (see WSW 101 for further details). The most well-preserved area of trenches is located across the centre of Berners Heath (centred at TL 8000 7644) and can be seen particularly well in the 1980s (S4). Some of the possible trenches (located at 8016 7590) can be seen as very low earthworks on visualised lidar data (from a 2015 survey). The trenches in the centre of the heath consist of four main clusters (located at TL7993 7589, TL 8000 7644, TL 8037 7685 and TL 7995 7718) connected by single lines of crenelated trenches. Two lines of trenches can be seen heading east form these clusters located at TL 8036 7658 and at TL 8011 7595. To the east of the heath (centred at TL8085 7572) further trenches can be seen as cropmarks in the 1940s before the area is planted over for modern forestry. The individual elements of these trenches are not as clear as those located on Berners Heath and may suggest that theses trenches were less well preserved. Finally a further area of trenches has been recorded along the northern extent of the area (located at TL 7996 7718). Extent of area polygons have been used to encapsulate the area around the trenches, as there is likely to be further features not visible on the sources consulted as part of this survey. At TL 8022 7646 there are three possible mounds with depressions in the centre which may have related to military training emplacements or explosive craters form the surrounding Second World War bombing range. As a result of a lack of control points for rectification of the photographs, some of the aerial photographs have been secondary transformed which may have slightly affected the locational accuracy of the mapping.
J.Powell (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 18th June 2019