First World War Pillbox, Bacton Wood

Summary

A rare First World War pillbox, of concrete block construction, with a semi-circular plan. It is part of a group that formed a "stop line" against potential enemy invaders along the River Ant and Dilham and North Walsham canal. It was constructed between 1916 and 1918.

Reasons for Designation

The pillbox at Bacton Wood is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* as a well-preserved example of a First World War pillbox with additional interest for its unusual method of concrete block construction and rare semi-circular plan-form;

* it contains original doors, gun loop shutters and ventilation pipe that illustrate the functioning of the building.

Historic interest:


* as a well-preserved example of a First World War pillbox with an intact layout.

Group value:

* as part of an important group of First World War pillboxes which formed a stop line at bridging points on the River Ant and Dilham and North Walsham Canal which have a strong functional relationship.

History

Despite the emerging deadlock between German and allied forces in Belgium and northern France British military planners planned to counter the threat of a possible seaborne attack on the UK mainland and in 1916 it was estimated that a landing might be made with as a many as 160,000 troops on the vulnerable east coast. To counter the threat of a German landing on the beaches of north Norfolk coastal defences were constructed from 1916, some of the first to be built in the country and backed up by a series of defended points inland of the coastal towns and a stop line along the River Ant and the section which formed the North Walsham and Dilham Canal. This utilised the northern part of the river/canal to defend the area between Barton Broad at the northern edge of the Norfolk Broads and Bradfield, the closest point on the river to the defences along the coast to the south of Cromer. A series of pillboxes were constructed at eight bridging points on the river/canal from 1916 with work to the north Norfolk defences continuing until 1918.  

The bridge at Bacton Wood carries Anchor Road over the canal with the mill race to Bacton Wood mill taken from the east side of the canal. A military map of 1918 shows a pillbox on the north side of the canal. The road bridge and mill date from the C18 and are listed at Grade II (National Heritage List for England (NHLE) entries 1039529 and 1049148).

Details

MATERIALS: concrete block walls with concrete roof slab on steel beams and steel door and gun loop shutters.  

PLAN: semi-circular with rounded corners and a single entrance to a single internal space.  

DESCRIPTION: the pillbox is situated on the south side of Mill Road beside a bridge over the tailrace to Bacton Wood mill which forms a channel bypassing the main course of the North Walsham and Dilham Canal on its eastern side. The pillbox is semi-circular, sunk partly below ground level on the roadside with the straight side facing away from the road. The concrete block walls are roughly pointed and topped by blocks with curved outer faces set around the roof slab. The roof slab is a single piece of cast concrete with a hole in the centre containing the remains of a ventilation pipe fitting.  

There are seven gun loops, three are grouped together on the roadside facing north east to cover the road to the east, two are to the rear side (south east) and two flank the low entrance door at the southern corner. The gun loops are formed from single cast concrete blocks with splayed openings or simple concrete lintels (rear corner) as is the single doorway. The doorway contains an original steel door with a hasp and bolt attached to the outside.

Sources

Books and journals
Bird, C, Silent Sentinels: The Story of Norfolk's Fixed Defences in the Twentieth Century (1999),
Kent, P, Fortifications of East Anglia (1988), 185-87
Storey, N R, Norfolk Goes to War (2014), 46

Websites
Great War Britain Norfolk 1914-18 blog: Norfolk roundhouses of the great war, accessed 25 August 2022 from https://stevesmith1944.wordpress.com/2015/08/20/norfolk-roundhouses-of-the-great-war/
Norfolk Heritage Explorer, accessed 25 August 2022 from https://www.heritage.norfolk.gov.uk/record-details?MNF17017
Defences of Britain , accessed 26 August 2022 from https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/dob/ai_r.cfm

End of official list entry