Full Report for Listed Buildings
The list description is not intended to be a complete inventory of what is listed: it is principally intended to aid identification. By law, the definition of a listed building includes the entire building (i) and any structure or object that is fixed to the said building and ancillary to it and (ii) any other structure or object that forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948, and was within the curtilage of the building, and ancillary to it, on the date on which said building was first included in the list, or on 1 January 1969, whichever was later.
Summary Description
Reference Number
14353
Building Number
Grade
II*
Status
Designated
Date of Designation
18/02/1994
Date of Amendment
18/02/1994
Name of Property
The South West Dockyard Tower
Address
Location
Unitary Authority
Pembrokeshire
Community
Pembroke Dock
Town
Pembroke Dock
Locality
Easting
195518
Northing
203606
Street Side
W
Location
Situated just off foreshore at W end of road running along S wall of Dockyard.
Description
Broad Class
Defence
Period
History
1848-51 defensive tower built by J. and C. Rigby, contractors of London, for the Board of Ordnance; one of a pair with the North East Tower at Front Street. 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.
Surviving plans of 1861 record that the tower was begun 11/11/1848 and completed 30/5/1851. It contained a basement magazine for 50 barrels of powder, a 4520 gallon water store, and accommodation on two floors for 14 men in beds or 24 in hammocks and on the roof were one 32-pound gun on an iron traversing platform and four 12-pound brass howitzers mounted on garrison carriages. The principal purpose was to command the land rather than guard against attack from the sea. The armament appears to have been dismantled in 1881.
Exterior
Limestone ashlar, basement and two storeys. Island fort of irregular octagonal plan, the sides steeply battered with heavy bull-nose moulding under high parapet pierced with gun loops on E, SE, and S sides. Windows are small and doubled as gun-loops, camber headed with raised shouldered surrounds and voussoirs, and over each is a smaller horizontal opening in thin raised surround, for smoke ventilation. E side has recessed parabolic arch breaking cornice with rusticated voussoirs above. To lower floor left is iron door in granite rusticated frame with keystone inscribed: 'VR 1851'; window to right and similar window above, both with horizontal vents over. Iron hoist bracket between floors. Broad chamfered windowless NE angle, narrower SE angle with two square gun-ports. S side is similar to E, parabolic arched recess with two horizontal gun ports. N side, W side and SW angle are all narrower with window and vent on each floor. W side obscured by affixed navigation marker.
Scheduled Ancient Monument, PE332.
Interior
Reason for designation
An important example of Victorian military engineering. Group value with other listed structures at Pembroke Dockyard.
Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]
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