© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
Radar Station, Old Castle Head is a post-medieval and modern military installation sited on the Pridoli rocks of Old Castle Head in Wales. The bedrock beneath comprises undifferentiated Pridoli strata of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone, geological formations laid down in the Pridoli epoch. The station represents the twentieth-century militarisation of the Welsh coast and forms part of the broader network of radar defence infrastructure developed during and after the Second World War. Its location on elevated ground would have provided strategic advantage for detecting aerial activity across the surrounding landscape.
The monument is protected by Cadw, the Welsh Historic Monuments service, under the reference PE493. Radar stations of this period typically comprised concrete bases, antenna arrays, and associated operational buildings designed to withstand coastal weather and potential attack. The station's survival reflects the durability of concrete construction and the historical significance placed upon Cold War defensive infrastructure.
Today, Old Castle Head radar station stands as evidence of twentieth-century strategic planning and technological innovation in British coastal defence. The site remains an important record of Wales' role in national air defence during a critical period of modern history.
Radar Station, Old Castle Head is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference PE493. View the official record →
Radar Station, Old Castle Head is a post-medieval and modern military installation sited on the Pridoli rocks of Old Castle Head in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference PE493.
Radar Station, Old Castle Head dates from the post medieval/modern period, and is classified as a radar station. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Radar Station, Old Castle Head 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 PE493.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Old Castle Head Promontory Fort (0.2 km), Skomar Defended Enclosure (1.4 km), Manorbier Castle (1.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Radar Station, Old Castle Head'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.
Radar Station, Old Castle Head stands on Pridoli Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Pridoli. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.