Monument record LCS 113 - World War II anti-tank ditch.

Please read our .

Summary

A World War II anti-tank ditch in Leiston and Aldringham cum Thorpe parish

Location

Grid reference Centred TM 47301 61915 (672m by 2087m)
Map sheet TM46SE
Civil Parish ALDRINGHAM CUM THORPE, SUFFOLK COASTAL, SUFFOLK
Civil Parish LEISTON, SUFFOLK COASTAL, SUFFOLK

Map

Type and Period (1)

Full Description

A World War II anti-tank ditch is visible as an earthwork on aerial photographs, centred on TM47436250. At its northern end the ditch was created by widening a short stretch of an existing drainage ditch approximately 270m long, from circa TM47276295 to TM47386273 and using the upcast to create an accompanying bank. The ditch then extends southwards for approximately 2.8km to circa TM46816087, mostly following field boundaries but occasionally cutting across open fields, as at TM47436250. The ditch was created sometime after July 1940 (S1), and appears to be quite newly cut in December 1941 (S2). The extent of the ditch can be seen on photographs from 1946 (S3). A bank does not consistently accompany the ditch; although spoil is often visible alongside the newly excavated ditch, it is not always formed into a consolidated defensive bank. The ditch has been filled and is under plough by 1952 (S4) and sections of the ditch that cut across cultivated fields are visible as a cropmark on photographs from 1968 (S5). This anti-tank ditch was one component of the anti-invasion defences that were in place along much of the Suffolk coastline during World War II, complimenting other elements such as the anti-invasion beach defences (LCS 119), and the Anti-Aircraft ditches that it cuts through (ARG 017).

March 2015. Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Mapping Programme.
The anti-tank ditch defence described above was visible extending as far as Thorpness Mere to the south at TM 4623 5978 on aerial photographs (S6-S8). As stated above, the bank does not consistently accompany the ditch, and the ditch was largely filled in by 1955, although small section remains open at this date around TM 4692 6087(S9).
E. Ford (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 18th March 2015.

Sources/Archives (9)

  • <S1> Photograph: RAF. Air Photograph. RAF 2/BR11/14 14-11 08-Jul-1940.
  • <S2> Photograph: RAF. Air Photograph. RAF 2A/BR167 20-17 17-Dec-1941.
  • <S3> Photograph: RAF. Air Photograph. RAF 106G/UK/1673 3229, 3232 28-Jul-1946.
  • <S4> Photograph: RAF. Air Photograph. RAF 540/705 5461-5467 09-Apr-1952.
  • <S5> Photograph: OS, AP. NMR OS/68144 82-83 31-May-1968.
  • <S6> Vertical Aerial Photograph: Vertical aerial photograph. US/7PH/GP/LOC132 V 5048-5049 30-DEC-1943 (EHA Laser Copy).
  • <S7> Vertical Aerial Photograph: Vertical aerial photograph. RAF/106G/UK/462 FS 2070-2071 30-JUN-1945 (EHA Original Print).
  • <S8> Vertical Aerial Photograph: Vertical aerial photograph. RAF/106G/UK/929 RS 4261-4262 16-OCT-1945 (EHA Original Print).
  • <S9> Vertical Aerial Photograph: Vertical aerial photograph. RAF/58/1672 F22 0135-0136 03-MAR-1955 (EHA Original Print).

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

  • None recorded

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (3)

Record last edited

Jul 30 2015 10:41AM

Comments and Feedback

Do you have any more information about this record? Please feel free to comment with information and photographs, or ask any questions, using the "Disqus" tool below. Comments are moderated, and we aim to respond/publish as soon as possible.