The Watchtower was built as a coastguard station in about 1860. It is a two storey tower, with a boathouse on the ground floor, built against the low cliff on the north side of Watch House Bay at the entrance to Barry Harbour. It is associated with the nearby Rocket Shed (NPRN 34286). The Tower has been used as an activities centre since the 1960s.
The tower is built of stone rubble with finer quoins and dressings. The forward southern face has sloping lateral butresses and a string course at first floor level. There is a low, plain corbelled parapet. The boathouse is entered by a wide double doorway with a flat lintel on the western side. This has replaced a camber-headed opening in the forward face, now partly blocked with an inserted window. Slipways are shown leading to both entries on the 1st edition OS County series (Glamorgan. L.8 1879), but only to the eastern entry on the 2nd edition of 1900. The upper floor has camber-headed windows in the southern and eastern walls, and a fireplace in the south-east corner with a low chimney stack above.

Source: CADW Listed Buildings Database (13401)

John Wiles 20.02.08