Scheduled MonumentsWalesCastle Mound near Swan Hotel
Medieval · Motte

Castle Mound near Swan Hotel

Breconshire, Wales
Cadw SAM BR077
Period
Medieval
Site type
Motte
Broad class
Defence
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Castle Mound near Swan Hotel is a motte, a form of medieval defensive earthwork characteristic of the Norman period in Wales. The monument consists of an artificial mound of earth and stone, typical of early Norman fortifications erected from the late eleventh century onwards, and represents an important phase of military occupation in Breconshire. Such mottes frequently served as administrative and defensive centres for newly established Norman lordships, though this example, like many similar structures in Wales, was later superseded by more substantial stone castles. The site's survival and scheduled status reflect its archaeological significance as evidence of Norman settlement patterns and the militarisation of the Welsh borderlands during the medieval period.

Castle Mound near Swan Hotel is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference BR077. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Castle Mound near Swan Hotel?

Castle Mound near Swan Hotel is a motte, a form of medieval defensive earthwork characteristic of the Norman period in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference BR077.

What period does Castle Mound near Swan Hotel date from?

Castle Mound near Swan Hotel dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Castle Mound near Swan Hotel?

Castle Mound near Swan Hotel 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 BR077.

What other scheduled monuments are near Castle Mound near Swan Hotel?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Remains of Blaenau Stone Circle (5 km), Coed y Polyn round barrow (6 km), Little Lodge Long Barrow (6 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Castle Mound near Swan Hotel

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Castle Mound near Swan Hotel's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Castle Mound near Swan Hotel

Castle Mound near Swan Hotel stands on Pridoli Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Pridoli. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

The wider landscape

Around Castle Mound near Swan Hotel

KenchesterRoman town · ~13.3 miles