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
5770
Building Number
 
Grade
II  
Status
Designated  
Date of Designation
22/02/1993  
Date of Amendment
29/04/2021  
Name of Property
The Battery  
Address
 

Location


Unitary Authority
Isle of Anglesey  
Community
Holyhead  
Town
 
Locality
Penrhos Coastal Park  
Easting
226723  
Northing
381752  
Street Side
N  
Location
On the headland at the NW edge of the park; Penrhos Beach below to W. Penrhos Coastal Park lies at the SE end of Holy Island.  

Description


Broad Class
Defence  
Period
 

History
Probably built between 1801 and 1808. Although it appears to be a folly there are said to have been 3 similar defensive battreries at Beaumaris, built for the local militia. Alternatively it is possible that it was in fact built as a dummy battery to provide some security by fooling invading French forces into believing that Holyhead was defended. This Battery is the subject of a pencil drawing dated 1818 by Isobella Louisa Stanley (her husband was a well know naval figure at the time). The Penrhos estate was the principal seat on Holy Island and became the home of the Stanley family in 1763; the house was completely remodelled in C19. It became ruinous after 1945 and was later almost entirely demolished. The estate was bought by Anglesey Aluminium in 1969 and made into a country park in 1972.  

Exterior
D-shaped rubble gun battery; partly collapsed on landward side where, at each end, there were battlemented tower platforms (perhaps containing the magazines). The semi-circular firing bay has 8 square, slightly splayed, embrasures.  

Interior
 

Reason for designation
Listed for its special interest as an early C19 coastal landmark, which may be a good example of a Napoleonic period fortification for the defence of Wales.  

Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]



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