Documents

Where documents include maps, the use of this data is subject to terms and conditions (https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/termsandconditions).

The legal document available for download below constitutes the formal designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The additional details provided on this page are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the designation. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within this additional information.

• Type

  Legal Documents

  Title

  SM11353_Legal Doc

  Download(https://portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600013944)

Summary

Description

The monument is a pill box, built as a response to the threat of German invasion in 1940 or 1941. It stands at the corner of the public road covering a road bridge crossing the main Aberdeen-Inverness railway.

The pill box is a well-preserved example, apparently a variant of Type 24. It measures 7.3m N-S by 4.05m E-W, has walls 0.45m thick and is built entirely of concrete. The entrance is in the rear wall, protected by an internal baffle wall. On each of the NW, W and SW walls there is a pair of internally splayed embrasures. There is an additional embrasure at the angle of the W and SW walls, covering part of the rail cutting.

The area to be scheduled is rectangular and measures 10m N-S and 9m E-W, as marked in red on the attached map.

Statement of National Importance

The monument's historical significance can be expressed under three headings:

INTRINSIC CHARACTERISTICS. The monument is well-preserved and has suffered little alteration.

CONTEXTUAL CHARACTERISTICS. The monument is a good representative of a once numerous class. It is the only well-preserved example surviving in the area of the western Strathdon scheduling project. Its location and relationship to the landscape are integral to understanding of the pill box's original function and use. It is part of a wider pattern of defences across North-East Scotland and Britain as a whole.

ASSOCIATIVE CHARACTERISTICS. The monument is the product of significant historical events and defensive structures of this period that have an important place in popular memory.

NATIONAL IMPORTANCE. The monument is of National Importance because it has an inherent potential to make a significant addition to the understanding of the past, in particular the response to the 1940 invasion scare, the design and planning of defensive features, and the use of the landscape in defence. This potential is enhanced by its state of preservation. Its class contributes significantly to the 20th-century landscape. Its loss would significantly affect the completeness of the surviving Second World War defences in the North-East.

References

Bibliography

About Scheduled Monuments

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Scheduling is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for monuments and archaeological sites of national importance as set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.

We schedule sites and monuments that are found to be of national importance using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Scheduled monument records provide an indication of the national importance of the scheduled monument which has been identified by the description and map. The description and map (see ‘legal documents’ above) showing the scheduled area is the designation of the monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. The statement of national importance and additional information provided are supplementary and provided for general information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland accepts no liability for any loss or damages arising from reliance on any inaccuracies within the statement of national importance or additional information. These records are not definitive historical or archaeological accounts or a complete description of the monument(s).

The format of scheduled monument records has changed over time. Earlier records will usually be brief. Some information will not have been recorded and the map will not be to current standards. Even if what is described and what is mapped has changed, the monument is still scheduled.

Scheduled monument consent is required to carry out certain work, including repairs, to scheduled monuments. Applications for scheduled monument consent are made to us. We are happy to discuss your proposals with you before you apply and we do not charge for advice or consent. More information about consent and how to apply for it can be found on our website at www.historicenvironment.scot.

Find out more about scheduling and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.