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St Ishmael's Scar Beach Defence Gun House is a post-medieval coastal fortification built to defend against naval threat. The structure sits on Devonian claystone bedrock, laid down in the Carboniferous period, which underlies this exposed stretch of Welsh coastline. The claystone foundation, interbedded with sandstone and siltstone, provides a relatively stable base despite the demanding coastal environment of Scar Beach.
This gun house forms part of the network of defensive works constructed along vulnerable sections of the Welsh coast during periods of military tension. The site's position on the beach itself reflects its primary purpose: to mount artillery capable of engaging hostile vessels approaching the shore. The Devonian geological substrate, harder and more durable than the overlying soils, offered practical advantages for construction in this erosion-prone coastal setting.
The monument is protected and recorded by Cadw, the historic monuments agency of Wales, under reference CM383. This designation ensures its preservation as evidence of post-medieval military engineering and coastal defence strategy, recording how communities adapted their landscape to meet contemporary security demands.
St Ishmael's Scar Beach Defence Gun House is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CM383. View the official record →
St Ishmael's Scar Beach Defence Gun House is a post-medieval coastal fortification built to defend against naval threat. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference CM383.
St Ishmael's Scar Beach Defence Gun House dates from the post medieval/modern period, and is classified as a gun house. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
St Ishmael's Scar Beach Defence Gun House 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 CM383.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Castell Llansteffan (2.2 km), Round Barrow 330m SW of Mynydd-Uchaf (3.4 km), Coleman Dovecot (3.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of St Ishmael's Scar Beach Defence Gun House'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.
St Ishmael's Scar Beach Defence Gun House stands on Devonian claystone, bedrock that formed in the Carboniferous. The rock here is major:{claystone}, Minor{sandstone,siltstone,carbonates, consolidated}.