Lampeter Pillbox

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.

The monument consists of a reinforced concrete pillbox, dating to the early period of World War II (AD 1940-41). The pillbox is located at the E edge of a field of pasture between Lampeter to the N and Pont Stephen to the S at NGR SN 58012 47727. It was sited to protect the vulnerable point where the (now disused) railway and A482 trunk road cross the Afon Teifi. The pillbox is built to standard War Office FW3/24 specifications, possessing seven embrasures. It is an irregular hexagon in shape on plan and measures c. 4.7m in length NW-SE by 3.8m transversely and a maximum of 2.75m in height externally. The concrete foundation raft is visible and projects 0.2m beyond the exterior wall faces. The walls measure 0.38m in thickness. Stones placed vertically on their ends have been cemented into place on top of the roof as camouflage to break up the pillbox's silhouette.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of World War II anti-invasion practices. The monument is well preserved. It is an important relic of actions taken against the perceived threat of a German invasion from Ireland. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and an area around within which related evidence may be expected to survive. The scheduled area is rectangular and measures 11m NW-SE by 8m transversely.