Dereham Road bombsites revealed by Norwich historian

Dereham Road still wears the scars of the deadly attack that marked one of Norwich’s darkest hours during the Second World War.

Historian Mark Felton made the discovery when studying the layout of the crossroads, which features terraces of Victorian and Edwardian houses and empty plots. 

Remains of the British Gas Light Company building on the corner of Dereham Road and Heigham Road, 1942 (Image: Newsquest)

Considered strange, further research discovered that the junction connecting Dereham Road, Heigham Road and Old Palace Road was hit by more than eight bombs that decimated the area between April and June in 1942.

The homes flattened in these attacks were never reconstructed, and the empty plots never developed on, leaving a ghostly reminder of the damage caused.

Potters House Church was also badly damaged, losing its spire in the attacks. 

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Retaliatory bombing raids were conducted on English cities following an RAF raid on the historic German port of Lubeck in 1942.

The raids became known as the Baedeker Blitz and were so named after the Baedeker tourist guide which featured a list of all of the most historically important cities, including York, Bath, Exeter, Canterbury and Norwich.

The Heigham Grove junction in Dereham Road still wears the scars of the deadly attacks (Image: Google Maps)

A German propaganda ministry spokesman was reported as having said: “We shall go out and bomb every building in Britain marked with three stars in the Baedeker Guide.”

The raids were meant to undermine public morale and erase historically significant sites.

READ MORE: IN PICTURES: ‘Morning after’ images show impact of Blitz raids on Norwich

From April to June, 229 people in Norwich were killed and more than a thousand injured.

Several important churches and more than 2,000 houses were completely destroyed, with an additional 27,000 damaged, including the Dolphin Pub that was later torn down.

The empty plots left by bombed-out houses and the church missing its spire (Image: Google Maps)

Norfolk lays claim to the earliest known bombing on British soil which can be traced back to the First World War when Sheringham was hit by two bombs at around 8.30pm on January 19, 1915.

One incendiary bomb, which fell through the roof of a cottage, detonated in the kitchen but was reportedly picked up by a man who extinguished it outside in a horse trough, and no deaths or serious injuries were recorded.

This bomb can be seen in the Sheringham Museum.