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Burton Beach Overlord Hard is a post-medieval and modern hard—a slipway structure built to facilitate the launching and hauling of vessels. Located on the Welsh coast, it exploits the natural geology of the site, where Lower Devonian sandstone and conglomerate bedrock provides a firm foundation typical of Early Devonian formations. The interbedded nature of these ancient rocks, laid down approximately 400 million years ago, creates a naturally durable surface suited to maritime construction.
The hard represents the practical adaptation of the landscape to serve coastal communities and maritime activities over the centuries. As a post-medieval structure, it belongs to a period of intensified coastal use when improved infrastructure became essential for fishing, trade and transport. The monument remains protected by Cadw under reference PE531, reflecting its archaeological and historical significance to understanding Wales's maritime heritage.
The distinctive bedrock geology visible at Burton Beach would have guided the construction and positioning of the hard, as builders selected naturally resilient surfaces to withstand the constant friction of vessel movement and the weathering effects of the coastal environment. Such structures, though often modest in appearance, are essential records of how historical communities engineered their relationship with the sea.
Burton Beach Overlord Hard is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference PE531. View the official record →
Burton Beach Overlord Hard is a post-medieval and modern hard—a slipway structure built to facilitate the launching and hauling of vessels. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference PE531.
Burton Beach Overlord Hard dates from the post medieval/modern period, and is classified as a hard. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Burton Beach Overlord Hard 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 PE531.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Medieval Building at Kingston Farm (5.5 km), Kingston Burial Chamber (5.6 km), Round Barrow 400m N of West Orielton (6.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Burton Beach Overlord Hard'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.
Burton Beach Overlord Hard stands on Lower Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.