South West Dockyard Tower

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The monument consists of a tower located slightly offshore on the south-west side of Pembroke Dock Royal Navy Dockyard as one of a pair of gun towers positioned at opposite ends of the Dockyard. Known locally as ‘Martello Towers’ or ‘Cambridge Towers’, these were intended to defend the Dockyard from landward and seaward attack supplementing the guns at Pater Battery and the Defensible Barracks. Construction began in 1848 and was completed in 1851. The tower was comimissioned up until 1881. It had a number of subsequent uses including as the location for a training battery for aircraft gunners in WWII.

The three storey 16m high structure, irregular octagonal in plan, has steeply battered walls. Located between high and low waterworks it was entered at first floor level by means of catwalks. Machicolations protect the entrance and the south-west flank. The basement, lying below high water, housed the magazine, a 4,520 gallon water tank, barrack store and artillery store. The upper two floors housed barrack accommodation, the windows of which also acted as casement loops. Heavy guns were mounted on the platform roof defended by thick parapet walls.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of construction techniques. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits. The structure itself may be expected to contain archaeological information concerning chronology and building techniques.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.