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Anti-aircraft and Coastal Battery West of Lavernock Point is a post-medieval and modern defensive fortification sited on bedrock of the Lias Group, a formation of mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone laid down during the Aalenian period. The battery's location on this headland position, west of Lavernock Point in Wales, reflects the strategic importance of defending the coast against naval and aerial threats during the twentieth century. The geology of the site would have presented both advantages and challenges for construction, with the relatively soft Liassic deposits requiring careful groundwork to accommodate gun emplacements and associated structures.
The battery represents a phase of coastal fortification responding to evolving warfare technologies. Anti-aircraft batteries were typically equipped with rapid-firing guns or smaller-calibre weapons designed to engage enemy aircraft, whilst coastal defence batteries carried larger artillery pieces intended to repel seaborne attack. The dual-purpose designation of this installation suggests it served both roles during its operational period.
The monument is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage monuments authority, under reference GM448, recognising its significance as a record of mid-twentieth century military engineering and strategy. The survival of such batteries provides material evidence of the civilian and military experiences of wartime defence, contributing to our understanding of how Britain's coastlines were fortified during periods of strategic vulnerability.
Anti-aircraft and Coastal Battery West of Lavernock Point is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM448. View the official record →
Anti-aircraft and Coastal Battery West of Lavernock Point is a post-medieval and modern defensive fortification sited on bedrock of the Lias Group, a formation of mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone laid down during the Aalenian period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM448.
Anti-aircraft and Coastal Battery West of Lavernock Point dates from the post medieval/modern period, and is classified as a battery. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Anti-aircraft and Coastal Battery West of Lavernock Point 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 GM448.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including St Mary's Well Bay Pillbox (0.5 km), Sully Island, "Danish" Fort (1.2 km), Cogan Deserted Medieval Village (2.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Anti-aircraft and Coastal Battery West of Lavernock Point'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.
Anti-aircraft and Coastal Battery West of Lavernock Point stands on Lias Group, bedrock that formed in the Aalenian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone.