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Aberystwyth Harbour Defences is a post-medieval pillbox constructed to protect the harbour and town of Aberystwyth in Ceredigion, Wales. Built during a period of heightened coastal defence requirements, the structure reflects the military engineering practices of its era. The pillbox forms part of a wider defensive scheme that characterised British coastal settlements during the twentieth century.
The monument stands upon bedrock of Llandovery Rocks, a formation of sandstone and conglomerate laid down during the Llandovery Period of the Ordovician era, some 450 million years ago. This interbedded geology provided a solid foundation for the defensive structure, though the proximity to the harbour meant construction had to account for the dynamic coastal environment and the saltwater exposure inherent to such waterfront positions.
The pillbox is protected as an ancient monument by Cadw, the Welsh heritage organisation, under reference number CD248. Its survival as a recorded structure provides evidence of Aberystwyth's strategic importance to coastal defence planning and reflects the town's significance as both a working harbour and a fortified settlement during the modern period.
Aberystwyth Harbour Defences is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CD248. View the official record →
Aberystwyth Harbour Defences is a post-medieval pillbox constructed to protect the harbour and town of Aberystwyth in Ceredigion, Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference CD248.
Aberystwyth Harbour Defences dates from the post medieval/modern period, and is classified as a pillbox. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Aberystwyth Harbour Defences is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is CD248.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Pen Dinas Camp (0.5 km), Aberystwyth Castle (0.8 km), Castle Tan-y-Castell (1.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Aberystwyth Harbour Defences's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Aberystwyth Harbour Defences stands on Llandovery Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Llandovery. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.