RELICS OF ANTI-NAZI FORTIFICATIONS STILL DOT OUR LANDSCAPE

NORTH Wales is full of landmarks and historic sites with as much heritage per square mile as any part of Europe.

- By OWEN HUGHES

Some tower over towns like the castles of Edward I or dominate their surroundings like the famous mansion homes of the former lords of the manor.

Their histories are well known but there are other smaller slabs of the past that lurk on the coast and the mountain passes of Eryri, which many would not notice. Or even if they do they may not know why they are there.

These remains of "dragons' teeth" antitank devices, pillboxes (concrete dug-in guard-posts), spigot mortar mounts (bases with a central spigot designed to hold am antitank spigot mortar) and even sniper posts give an insight into the very real threat of invasion in the 1940s as German tanks rolled across the continent.

In May 1940, while tens of thousands of British, French, Belgian and Dutch troops continued to be plucked off the beaches of Dunkirk by the Royal and Merchant Navies, new Commander in Chief of Home Forces, General Iron-side, issued orders to commence the building of anti-invasion defences.