From north Co Down to the north coast, about 4,500 sites are listed in the Defence Heritage Record.

The locations were built in reaction to the Cold War, World War I, and World War II. These include barrage anchors, which were intended to raise huge balloons to block invading aircraft, on the Stormont Estate, east of Belfast.

In April 1941, the city was subjected to a fierce Luftwaffe blitz that killed 900 people and targeted military and industrial locations. To find and document each site, Historic Environment Record staff conducted two years of fieldwork.

Gordon Lyons, the Communities Minister for Northern Ireland, pointed several places scattered around the countryside that are frequently overlooked by many individuals who are not aware of their importance.

"From the search lights on the Belfast to Bangor coastal path to the pill boxes on the north coast, or the airfields hidden in our landscape, these sites are important heritage assets which tell the story of Northern Ireland's vital contribution to these conflicts," he stated.

Since some of these places may be at risk of deterioration or destruction, this new record is a valuable historical resource that has documented these locations for future generations.

"The work has also identified some of the most important, rare and best-preserved sites as warranting statutory protection as Scheduled Historic Monuments or listed buildings, ensuring their longer-term survival."

The department's online Historic Environment Map viewer makes the Defence Heritage Record available to everyone.