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Iron Tub Boats at Burry Port Harbour is a post-medieval and modern maritime monument consisting of iron-hulled vessels preserved in situ within the harbour at Burry Port, Carmarthenshire. The boats represent the evolution of Welsh maritime technology and local fishing practices during the industrial era. Their iron construction reflects nineteenth and twentieth-century advances in shipbuilding materials and methods that transformed small-scale harbour operations across South Wales.
The monument sits upon Silurian sedimentary bedrock, part of the ancient geological foundation that underlies much of South Wales. This stable geology has supported the development of the natural harbour and the accumulation of maritime activity over centuries. The exposed strata visible in the harbour's setting illustrate the region's deep geological history, formed when these rocks were laid down as marine deposits over 400 million years ago.
The iron tub boats are protected by Cadw, the Welsh Historic Monuments service, under reference CM268, recognising their significance as tangible records of Wales's maritime heritage and industrial economy. The vessels survive as archaeological witnesses to the technological and economic changes that shaped coastal communities, offering insights into boat design, construction practices and the working lives of those dependent upon the sea.
Iron Tub Boats at Burry Port Harbour is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CM268. View the official record →
Iron Tub Boats at Burry Port Harbour is a post-medieval and modern maritime monument consisting of iron-hulled vessels preserved in situ within the harbour at Burry Port, Carmarthenshire. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference CM268.
Iron Tub Boats at Burry Port Harbour dates from the post medieval/modern period, and is classified as a boat. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Iron Tub Boats at Burry Port Harbour 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 CM268.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including St Cennydd's Church Cross-shaft (8.9 km), Standing Stone on Ty'r Coed Farm (9 km), Stembridge Camp (9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Iron Tub Boats at Burry Port Harbour'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.
Iron Tub Boats at Burry Port Harbour stands on Paleozoic sedimentary rocks, bedrock that formed in the Silurian. The rock here is sedimentary rocks.