Scheduled Monument
Cowie Line, pill boxes & anti-tank blocks 200m SW-275m SE of Ury HouseSM6439
Status: Designated
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.
Summary
- Date Added
- 28/08/1996
- Type
- 20th Century Military and Related: Earthwork; Pillbox; Pits, trenches (defensive) ; Tank obstacles
- Local Authority
- Aberdeenshire
- Parish
- Fetteresso
- NGR
- NO 85894 87559
- Coordinates
- 385894, 787559
Description
The monument comprises two Type-22 pill boxes, situated on high ground to the south of the Cowie Water, covering the bridge over the river SE of Ury House, and its approaches.
The pill boxes are 6-sided, made of a mixture of granite, concrete and brick. The western pillbox has additional firing loops on two sides. There are also concrete tank blocks on both sides of the bridge and 6 fine examples to the NW of the western pill box on the south bank of the Cowie Water. To the west of the bridge the southern bank of the Cowie Water has been made vertical to provide a further obstacle. To the east of the bridge, in a wood, is a possible weapon pit.
Three areas are to be scheduled. The westernmost contains one pill box and 6 concrete tank blocks. It measures a maximum of 100m WSW to ENE by 60m transversely. The middle area contains the second pill box, the artificially-altered section of the river bank, and one concrete tank block. It measures a maximum of 100m E to W by 40m transversely. The easternmost area contains two tank blocks and the possible weapon pit. It measures 40m NNE-SSW by 30m transversely. All three areas are bounded on their northern sides by the river bank, and are as marked in red on the accompanying map.
Statement of National Importance
The monument is of national importance as a well-preserved element of the Cowie Line, one of the strategic 'stop-lines' of the anti-invasion defences of the Second World War. The individual features of the monument are well preserved and provide a concrete expression of an important period in British history.
References
Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation
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.
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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).
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