World War I acoustic mirror 335m north east of Kilnsea Grange

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

History & significance

Acoustic Mirror 335m north east of Kilnsea Grange is a reinforced concrete sound detection device constructed during the First World War as part of Britain's air defence infrastructure. The structure belongs to a series of acoustic mirrors built along the Yorkshire coast between 1916 and 1918 to detect approaching enemy aircraft through amplified sound waves, representing an important early warning technology before the development of radar. The monument survives as a substantial concrete wall, typically curved or parabolic in form, engineered to reflect and concentrate sound towards listening posts where observers could detect distant aircraft engines. This site exemplifies the innovative defensive measures adopted during the Great War and remains a rare surviving example of this transitional military technology.

World War I acoustic mirror 335m north east of Kilnsea Grange is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1020989. View the official record →

Questions & answers

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Generate a full report for this location

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in Britain — drawing on scheduled monument data, Domesday records, Roman heritage, PAS finds and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.