World War II defences at Low Newton-by-the-Sea

Archaeological recording project at Low Newton-by-the-Sea

December 12, 2024
4:40 pm

I think that the last year has been proof positive that our climate and weather is changing, with storms getting worse, more frequent – and more destructive. As well as the human factor, our coastlines take a heavy pummelling during these storms, but sometimes nature reveals elements and parts of our past previously hidden in those sandy dunes.

Locals and visitors to Low Newton-by-the-Sea, north of Embleton in Northumberland have recently found a new interpretation board set up on the beach (29^th November 2024), commissioned by the National Trust. That section of coast lies within the Northumberland Coast National Landscape, and storms over recent years have unearthed remnants of the World War II coastal defences previously hidden in the sand.

Following Dunkirk in June of 1940, there was huge concern of a German invasion by sea, with the Northumberland Coast assumed to be a prime target. In July 1940, the 1^st Battalion, 4^th Essex Regiment attached to Northern Command constructed miles of barbed wire defences along the Newton/Embleton beach and adjoining farmland boundary walls, as well as casting large concrete anti-tank blocks. Pillboxes, trenches and even minefields were also set up. During the subsequent years, the beaches were used for military exercises and ordnance demonstrations, before eventually in March 1944 the defences were decommissioned and dismantled.

What the 2023-24 storms unearthed appears to be a large dump of the decommissioned barbed wire defences, including ‘pig tail’ pickets, in the dune directly south of East Shore Cottages, as well as three anti-tank blocks at the southern end of the dune. In November (2024) the National Trust commissioned us to undertake a survey of the remnants before they are buried or damaged by further storm action – due to the health and safety elements of rusty barbed wire in a public dune, there’s also the need for limited removal of the wire, so a record needed to be made. The recording project included background research, a measured survey and a detailed photographic record.

Obviously, the dune inspected only forms a small part of the World War II archaeological remains along this length of coastline, with the remains between Newton and Embleton being potentially much more substantial.

The National Trust, as part of the HART Project, has just established a volunteer group to monitor the condition of archaeology on its land on the Northumberland Coast, and to look out for any other unknown sites as they become visible (https://heritagerecords.nationaltrust.org.uk/volunteer).

There’s a large amount of our social history buried in the sands along our coastlines, and I look forward to seeing what else is found!

Low Newton beach, Northumberland by Tony Liddell on Sketchfab

Chuck Bank, Northumberland coast, anti-tank by Tony Liddell on Sketchfab