Monument record ADB 110 - A World War II strongpoint incorporating an 18th century barracks.

A World War II Strongpoint is visible in the area of 'The Battery', Aldeburgh, from 1940 to 1945. An early World War II strongpoint, consisting of slit trenches within a barbed wire enclosure, can be seen centred on TM46325725 in 1940 (S1). The strongpoint trenches are located in the corner of a field and the barbed wire forms an irregular enclosure, crossing some field boundaries and abutting others. In total an area of around 1.7 hectares is enclosed. At this time a number of structures are visible in the grounds of Aldeburgh Lodge and a further slit trench circa 40m long has been dug to the south of the Lodge at circa TM46505712. By December 1941 the focus of the site has shifted from the strongpoint at TM46325725, to a more dispersed pattern of military activity (S2). The original strongpoint now has barbed wire running only on its south-west quadrant from circa TM46265724 to TM46345721, enclosing an area of roughly 0.3 hectares. A 'U' shaped 220m length or barbed wire now runs from circa TM46335732 to TM46495734, enclosing circa 0.6 hectares of land. The main focus of activity now seems to be arranged along a field boundary from circa TM46345723 to circa TM46515722, consisting of a number of slit trenches, pillboxes and other less identifiable structures replacing those visible in 1940. Further slit trenches are also dug in the grounds of the Lodge, at circa 46515710 and TM46565720, their western flank now protected by lines of barbed wire from TM4645 to TM46515716. A length of anti-tank ditch extends along the sea front to the immediate east of the Lodge, providing additional anti-invasion protection for this area. This is recorded in more detail in ADB 106. HER record ADB 022 also notes the existence of an 18th century battery or barracks in the grounds of the Lodge, stating that it was used by the military during the second World War, but the precise nature of this site during the war remains unclear. By October 1945 most of the barbed wire appears to have been removed, but many of the structures are still clearly visible (S3).