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Cadwgan Hall Mound is a medieval motte built upon bedrock of the South Wales Middle Coal Measures Formation, where mudstone, siltstone and sandstone intersperse with coal seams and ironstone deposits characteristic of this Moscovian-age geology. The mound itself survives as a substantial earthwork testament to 12th or 13th-century fortification practices in Wales, when such mottes served local lords as platforms for timber castles or stone keeps overlooking surrounding lands. Cadwgan Hall's survival on this solid geological foundation has allowed the earthwork to persist through centuries of Welsh landscape change, weathering the heavy rainfall typical of coal-bearing regions.
The monument is protected by Cadw, Wales's historic monuments service, under reference DE131. This statutory protection reflects its significance as evidence of medieval settlement hierarchy and defensive strategy in the Welsh countryside. The motte's construction directly upon the Coal Measures bedrock, rather than softer drift deposits, would have afforded natural stability and drainage advantages to its medieval builders. Visitors to the site today can observe how its earthen form rises distinctly from the surrounding topography, marking an enduring focal point from the high Middle Ages.
Cadwgan Hall Mound is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference DE131. View the official record →
Cadwgan Hall Mound is a medieval motte built upon bedrock of the South Wales Middle Coal Measures Formation, where mudstone, siltstone and sandstone intersperse with coal seams and ironstone deposits characteristic of this Moscovian-age geology. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference DE131.
Cadwgan Hall Mound dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cadwgan Hall Mound is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is DE131.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Offa's Dyke: Section SW from Tatham Bridge (5.2 km), Wynnstay Colliery Walker Fan House (5.5 km), Wynnstay Colliery Winding Engine House (5.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cadwgan Hall Mound's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Cadwgan Hall Mound stands on Pennine Middle Coal Measures Formation And South Wales Middle Coal Measures Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Moscovian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.