WWII Pillbox adj to Ulster Bus Depot, Downpatrick St, Rathfriland, Newry, Co Down, BT34

This is a World War II pillbox, located on the east side of Rathfriland, approximately halfway up a steep hill overlooking the Mourne Mountains. Constructed between 1940 and 1959, it is the only civil defence structure within the town and holds local historical interest. The pillbox is a small, one-story rectangular building. It has a flat roof made of mass concrete and walls composed of unrendered concrete and, in places, cement-rendered granite rubble. The entrance, originally on the west side, now has steps leading to a blocked doorway. A single, wide, splayed rectangular firing loop is located at the right end of the south elevation, while the other walls are blank. This example represents a standard pillbox design, one of around 24 plan types developed during World War II, used to defend a main route into Rathfriland. The concrete construction is typical of such defensive structures. It is now situated in the northeastern corner of the Ulsterbus depot and is recorded as derelict. The building was designed by the War Office.