Norfolk, quiet rural backwater right? Nothing much ever happens there . . . if only that were true! After last week’s story of the amazing Anglo-Saxon pendant found by student Tom Lucking, comes another archaeological news item which is topical for many schools – its about our WWI heritage.
It might be difficult to think of Norfolk as being in the front line of any war, but that’s exactly what people felt back in 1914 after a German warship shelled Great Yarmouth and then in 1915 the town suffered an air-raid. Although only one man was killed in the air-raid, he was the first civilian casualty of the war.
One result of this was the construction of a number of defensive structures called pill-boxes in northern Norfolk following the course of the River Ant which was thought to be a potential target with its deep water landing. Local expert Ian Clarke has been successful in getting the local council to join a project to highlight the importance of the structures which are much rarer than the more well-known WWII pill-boxes. It is hoped that a new heritage trail will be developed supported by a guide to encourage more than just local people to visit the sites.
More on Great Yarmouth and WWI can be found here: http://www.gorlestonhistory.org.uk/worldwars
More on the pill-box story here: http://www.northnorfolknews.co.uk/news/the_trail_will_highlight_structures_that_a_lot_of_people_just_drive_past_and_don_t_see_first_world_war_pillboxes_to_be_commemorated_1_3983995