Monument record IKL 123 - Second World War practice target, Shravedell Heath.

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Summary

A brick wall of a probable Second World War date is seen as a structure on aerial photographs. The brick wall most likely relates to a Second World War practice target associated with Second World War-Cold war military training. The practice target is within the Second World War – Cold War bombing range at Berners Heath (IKL 353). The wall can be seen as a structure in the 1940s and is still visible on recent aerial photographs.

Location

Grid reference Centred TL 7944 7720 (101m by 100m)
Map sheet TL77NE
Civil Parish ICKLINGHAM, FOREST HEATH, SUFFOLK

Map

Type and Period (5)

Full Description

Brick wall used as military shooting practice target. Approximately 60m wide and 15/20m high. Bullet holes still visible on easterly face. This whole area was used during WWII as a practice area and aerial bombing targets are located 1km to the SE (IKL 107). See letter in parish file from Wing Commander K H Wallis to Huby Fairhead (Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museums at Flixton) dated July 1991, in which he recalls using the whole area for practice in 1938/1941.
Also note its location in possible WWI tank testing area - see WSW Misc (MSF25429).

December 2019. Breckland National Mapping Programme.
A brick wall of a probable Second World War date is seen as a structure on aerial photographs (S2-S3). The brick wall most likely relates to a Second World War practice target or shooting range associated with Second World War military training. The practice target is within the Second World War – Cold War bombing range at Berners Heath (IKL 353). The feature is approximately 60m in length and approximately 1.5 meters wide. The wall can be seen as a structure in the 1940s and is still visible on recent (2018) aerial photographs (S3). A rectangular concrete area can be seen on the west side of the feature in the 1940s and has been removed by 1999 (S3). The practice target is also in close relation to a large area of Frist World Wart tank training (IKL 352).
J.Powell (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 16th December 2019.

Sources/Archives (4)

  • <S1> Finds Report: Suffolk County Council Archaeologcial Service. 1996. SAU, Sussams K, Brecks Survey, January 1996. SAU, Sussams K, Brecks Survey, January 1996.
  • <M1> Unpublished document: Suffolk Archaeological Service. Parish Files. Parish file: letter from Wing Commander Wallis to Huby Fairhead.
  • <S2> Vertical Aerial Photograph: Vertical aerial photograph. RAF/CPE/UK/1801 RP 3177-3178 25-OCT-1946 (HEA Original Print).
  • <S3> Vertical Aerial Photograph: Vertical aerial photograph. EARTH.GOOGLE.COM DEC-1999 and JUL-2018 ACCESSED 16-DEC-2019 (Digital).

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (2)

Record last edited

Mar 9 2020 3:46PM

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