Remains of Rhossili Down Radar Station in Wales Recall World War II Defences

The remains of a Second World War radar station sit at the north-western end of Rhossili Down, near Hillend in Wales. Built in 1942, the station survives only in part today, but the site offers wide views over the sea and coastline.

Part of a defensive network

The station belonged to Chain Home Low, a network of wartime radar stations covering the Bristol Channel, the stretch of water between south Wales and south-west England. It was run by the Army and the Royal Air Force (RAF).

Its job was to detect low-flying aircraft at around 500 feet (150 metres). If German bombers were spotted approaching, a warning could be sent to the city of Swansea.

What remains today

The station was decommissioned in 1945, when the war ended. The structure was then demolished after the war. Only the southern access road and the concrete base are left.

With most of the concrete structure gone, attention now falls on the views of Rhossili Bay and across to the Worm's Head headland. The remnants still look out over the Bristol Channel, and their position shows why the site was chosen to help defend the Gower Peninsula and the south Wales coast.