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
16916
Building Number
Grade
II
Status
Designated
Date of Designation
26/04/1996
Date of Amendment
26/04/1996
Name of Property
The Watch Tower
Address
Location
Unitary Authority
Pembrokeshire
Community
Penally
Town
Locality
Four Winds Lane
Easting
212246
Northing
200004
Street Side
Location
On the summit of the Black Rock promontory overlooking the Ritec. The view from the tower is now obscured by trees.
Description
Broad Class
Maritime
Period
History
Fenton (1810) refers to the many theories about the purpose of this old tower. Comparison with the very similar Irish round towers is ruled out as the latter were never built, as this evidently was, in isolation. It is more likely that the purpose of this tower relates to the fact that it was built at a time long before the Ritec ceased to be a large open navigable estuary; it may have been a lookout tower or intended to assist shipping as a landmark or a signalling tower. It may also be significant that there was a mediaeval watch tower on Caldey, at a distance of 3.5 km, with a line of view to the Penally tower. In the late C19 Edward Laws restored the Penally tower, to an unknown extent, using old stone taken from ruins in Tenby.
Exterior
A small tower, slightly tapering in shape. It is 3.5 m diameter at its base and survives to a height of about 6 m. Rubble masonry. Fenton describes the foundation as a 'factitious cake of lime and sand'. The tower is of two storeys, with an entrance at the NW side with a re-used pointed arch. A slit window faces the sea.
Ancient Monument no. Pe 439
Interior
Reason for designation
Listed as an old landmark, lookout or signalling tower for shipping before the reclamation of the Ritec estuary.
Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]
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