Monument record ARG 030 - A World War II strongpoint.

A World War II strongpoint is visible as earthworks and structures on aerial photographs from 1945 onwards, centred on TM46916130. The strongpoint is located within a loop of an anti-tank ditch (LCS 113), and is focused upon an old rifle butt. The butt is marked upon both the 1st and 2nd edition Ordnance Survey maps of 1884 and 1904 as 'Old Rifle Butt', and so a Post-Medieval date for it seems reasonable. The strongpoint consists of two pillboxes, situated on either side of the rifle butt, and a number of weapons pits and slit trenches, one of which appears to be located on top of the butt itself. Two further ditches with accompanying banks are located to the south east of the butt, and may be anti-aircraft ditches, placed to compliment the extensive anti-aircraft ditch site immediately to the north west. It is possible that the local military commanders thought that locating a military complex around an existing earthwork such as the rifle butt may disguise the newer military activity. The butt and pillboxes are still visible on photographs of 1969, but it is not clear whether the butt is still present in 1975 . (S1-3) (NB Sources 1-3 not listed, NMP air photos recorded by Cain Hegarty 2002).
Pillboxes (described as light 'Suffolk Square' type) illustrated in (S4).