Fort Hubberstone, over looking Gelliswick Bay, has been named as one of the country’s most endangered archaeological sites by a leading heritage magazine.

The latest edition of British Archaeology lists six of the most at risk sites in the UK, with the Milford Haven fort at number five.

Dyfed Archaeological Trust director Ken Murphy said the fort, one of 14 Palmerston forts along Pembrokeshire’s coastline, is worth preservation.

“It is a shame because the site is falling apart, but it has great potential,” he added.

“It is a spectacular monument and would really contribute to the tourism of the area.”

The Victorian barracks, built over five years in the 1860s to boost navel defences, faces an uncertain future.

It once housed around 250 men in D-shaped bomb-proof barracks above a battery of 28 guns. The fort was abandoned shortly after the First World War until it was pressed into action again as an air raid shelter and army camp for American soldiers during the Second World War.

However, once the war was over, it soon fell in to disrepair and was severely vandalised in the following decades. There have also been a number of non-fatal injuries at the site.

Site owners Milford Haven Port Authority said it recognised that preservation of the fort is a concern.

“We are committed to finding a long-term, sustainable use that is sympathetic to the quality of the building and sensitive to the history and heritage of the site,” a spokesman said.

The port authority must also work with Pembrokeshire County Council in any future plans for the fort.