Castlemartin
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The community of Castlemartin includes the great sweep of Freshwater West beach and a large part of the Royal Armoured Corps (RAC) tank range established on the Castlemartin Peninsula in the late 1930s and further developed during the Cold War period.
Great Furzenip to Linney Head
This section of coast is within the danger area of the Castlemartin training ranges and is only accessible on National Park guided walks.
It includes the important Linney Training Area (SR 892 969) which was set aside for the training of the 79th Armoured Division during WW2.
Hard Target, Chieftain (A1) Linney Head
Several secret weapons were tested here and it was the scene of a number of exercises during the build-up to D-Day. These exercises involved the construction of replica German defences - including mine-fields, trenches and anti-tank walls - which were attacked from the sea by the 79th Armoured Division.
Blockhouse Winch, Linney Head
Many replica German structures still stand, including ‘Tobruk’ shelters, machine gun posts and German style gun emplacements. Also visible are the remains of the various types of matting which were used in tests designed to allow tanks to cross areas of soft sand.
Merrion to St Twynnell’s
This area contains a number of 1940-50s radar installations which comprised a Chain Home Low (CHL) (AMES 70A) and a ground control intercept (GCI) station from the Cold War period.
Blockhouse OP, Linney Head
The large bunker on the south side of the road (SR 941 974) is an R6 two-storey semisunk ROTOR bunker, while each of the small, square concrete buildings would once have had radar scanners on the roof. The nearby bungalow was once the guardroom.
On the north side of the road (SR 943 976) is a large single-storey building dating from the late 1950s. This was another structure associated with the radar station known as a ‘Type 80 Modulator’ building.
Type 13 height finding radar as used at RAF St Twynnell's
On the ridge road to the north was a Cold War Gee-H station which was built to provide accurate navigation for the V-Bomber force. It remained operational until the early 1970s and is now a private house (SR 942 977).
Axton Hill
The disused building at the foot of Axton Hill (SR 930 986) was once the pump-house which supplied water to the wartime tank range at Castlemartin, the limestone plateau on which the range stands being devoid of natural spring water.
Further reading
Castlemartin ...a Chuckle and a Cackle by Denis Alderman;
Fit to Keep Company With - the Lambtons of Brownslade by Denis Alderman;
An Experience Shared 1939 - 1945 by Vernon Scott, published by Laleham Publications.
Locations of Interest
- Freshwater West
- A memorial in the car-park records the WW2 landing craft disaster that occurred on April 25th, 1943. Back to map
- Castlemartin village
- Castlemartin Pound, in the centre of the village, was fitted out with ‘pill-boxes’ during WW2 and used as a machine gun emplacement. Back to map
- Castlemartin Camp
- This site can trace its origins back to the late 1930s when plans were being made to expand the British Army and it became a Royal Armoured Corps (RAC) camp and tank range. Back to map
- Flimston
- Flimston Chapel stands in isolated splendour at the heart of the military range. Dating from the fifth century, it was restored in 1903 by the Lambton family of Brownslade as a memorial to their sons who were killed in the Boer War. Back to map
- Warren
- Alongside West Lane, Warren, can be seen a number of buildings, some mounded with earth. This was RAF Warren. Back to map
Information from: Dyfed Archaeological Trust
- RAF WARREN
- 240 ft.{73.20m} timber receiver tower, four re-inforced concrete leg bases, small rectangular brick enclosure centrally under the tower. Demolished by 1946. Plotted off aerial photographs. Back to map
- CASTLEMARTIN ROYAL ARMOURED CO
- 'S' Sierra. Single storey,rectangular,re-inforced concrete,one man lookout post,protected to the rear,flanks,and over-head by earth and rock revetment.Re-inforced concrete retaining walls and concrete block walling.Adjacent brick latrine. Back to map
- WARREN FARM
- 1940-45, Searchlight Battery, present use agricultural land. Three emplacements constructed either of earth or sandbags and nine huts. RJC.Thomas, 24.01.93. Back to map
- RAF WARREN;AMES 70
- 1940-45, Air Ministry Experimental Station, Chain Home, present use low grade agricultural. Complex of transmitting and receiving blockhouses, huts and bases of the receiving mast. RJC.Thomas, 24.01.93. Back to map
- RAF WARREN;AMES 70
- 1940-45, Air Raid Shelter, now derelict. Semi sunken, earth covered, pre-cast concrete parabolic bolted sections. Entrance in northern wall protected by two brick blast walls. Square concrete hatch with steel ladder set centrally in roof against the e Back to map
- RAF WARREN;AMES 70
- 1940-45, Guard Hut/General Purpose Hut, present use store. Single storey, six bay, 'temporary brick' construction. Gabled corrugated asbestos roof. Doorway in each gable. Seven brick piers extend beyond side walls. Standard steel, 8 light, windows l Back to map
- RAF WARREN;AMES 70
- 1940-45, Gun Pit/Defence Post, now derelict. Rectangular, open earthern pit, set into hedgline. RJC.Thomas, 11.12.93. Back to map
- A military camp of at least twenty seven huts, hidden under the trees flanking the formal drive to Brownslade House, PRN 6447. All of the huts were demolished by 7 July 1946. Some rectangular concrete floors remain in undergrowth. R.Thomas 1993 Back to map
