Scheduled MonumentsWalesSt Mary's Well Bay Pillbox
Modern · Pillbox

St Mary's Well Bay Pillbox

Wales
Cadw SAM GM619
Period
Modern
Site type
Pillbox
Broad class
Defence
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

St Mary's Well Bay Pillbox is a reinforced concrete defensive structure erected during the Second World War as part of Britain's coastal defences against potential German invasion. The pillbox, constructed in the early 1940s, exemplifies the widespread fortification programme implemented along vulnerable stretches of the Welsh coastline following the fall of France in 1940. Built to house machine-gun positions and provide observation posts, such structures were designed to resist small arms fire and fragments from explosive devices. The pillbox remains a significant archaeological record of wartime emergency preparations and the militarisation of the Welsh coast during the critical years of 1940–1941.

St Mary's Well Bay Pillbox is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM619. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is St Mary's Well Bay Pillbox?

St Mary's Well Bay Pillbox is a reinforced concrete defensive structure erected during the Second World War as part of Britain's coastal defences against potential German invasion. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM619.

What period does St Mary's Well Bay Pillbox date from?

St Mary's Well Bay Pillbox dates from the modern period, and is classified as a pillbox. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting St Mary's Well Bay Pillbox?

St Mary's Well Bay Pillbox 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 GM619.

What other scheduled monuments are near St Mary's Well Bay Pillbox?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Anti-aircraft and Coastal Battery West of Lavernock Point (0.5 km), Sully Island, "Danish" Fort (0.8 km), Middleton Moated Site (2.6 km).

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