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The Second World War pillbox DHP No. 3 is a modern defensive structure located in County Down, Northern Ireland. Built during the emergency of 1940-41 when invasion threatened the British Isles, this concrete blockhouse exemplifies the rapid programme of fixed defences erected across the province. The pillbox sits on bedrock of the Hawick Group, a formation of hard wacke sandstones laid down during the Wenlock period of the Silurian, which provided stable ground for its foundations.
Positioned at grid reference J376403 0380, the pillbox belongs to the DHP (Defence of Home Port) scheme designed to protect Belfast and surrounding strategic areas. These small, heavily armed structures were typically manned by Home Guard units or military personnel and were sited to create interlocking fields of fire across vulnerable terrain. The thick concrete walls and loopholes enabled defenders to command approaches across the surrounding countryside, forming part of a wider network of anti-invasion works.
The pillbox is now protected as a scheduled monument by the Historic Environment Division under reference 8821. It survives as a testament to civil defence preparations during the Second World War and remains a significant witness to the wartime experiences of Northern Ireland. Such structures, once commonplace across the United Kingdom and Ireland, have become increasingly rare, making this example an important record of emergency military architecture.
Wwii pillbox - dhp no.3 is a scheduled monument protected by Department for Communities NI under reference 8821. View the official record →
The Second World War pillbox DHP No. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) under reference 8821.
Wwii pillbox - dhp no.3 dates from the modern period, and is classified as a pillbox. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Wwii pillbox - dhp no.3 is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by DfC Northern Ireland (NISMR) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Ni. The official designation reference is 8821.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Lady annesley's fish trap. fish trap (0.3 km), Lady annesley's fish trap. fish trap (0.3 km), Newcastle harbour. harbour (0.8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Wwii pillbox - dhp no.3'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.
Wwii pillbox - dhp no.3 stands on Hawick Group, bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is wacke.