First World War Practice Trenches, Penally Range

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

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

The monument consists of the remains of World War I practice trenches. This complex consists of two main lines of trenches running south west to north east and facing north west. In plan the trenches resemble a line of cresellations c. 4m long and 4m deep with earthen upcast banks to front and rear to give a depth of c. 1.4 -2.0m to the bottom which is partly silted up. This was a common form of front-line trench in WWI designed to stop the blast form artillery shells running any distance. The two main lines of trenches are connected by four sinuous communication trenches each with their own small redoubts. These four trenches combine into three which run behind the rear trench towards a command post which shows an irregular oval area of shallower trenches. The trenches were positioned so that they could be overfired from guns sited elsewhere on the range.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of World War I military techniques. The monument retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits. Practice trenches may be part of a larger cluster of anti-invasion defences and their importance can further enhanced by their group value.

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