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Cnwclas Castle is a medieval castle situated in Wales and protected as a scheduled ancient monument by Cadw under reference RD085. The castle occupies a location where Ludlow Rocks form the underlying bedrock, comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone typical of the Ludlow geological series.
The site's foundations rest upon this ancient sedimentary geology, which would have provided a relatively stable base for construction whilst offering limited natural stone resources on the immediate site. The mudstone and siltstone bedrock is characteristic of lowland Welsh medieval castle locations, where defensive positions were typically chosen for strategic rather than purely geological advantage.
As a scheduled monument under Cadw's protection, Cnwclas Castle remains an important example of medieval fortification in the Welsh landscape. The castle's survival into the modern era, despite the passage of centuries, reflects both the quality of its medieval construction and the stability of its geological foundation. Its protected status ensures the preservation of this significant element of Wales's medieval heritage for future study and public engagement.
Cnwclas Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference RD085. View the official record →
Cnwclas Castle is a medieval castle situated in Wales and protected as a scheduled ancient monument by Cadw under reference RD085.
Cnwclas Castle dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a castle. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cnwclas Castle 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 RD085.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Glog Camp (5.9 km), Castell Foel-Allt (6.9 km), Offa's Dyke: Section extending 2143m S from The Firs, Rhos-y-Meirch (7.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cnwclas Castle'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.
Cnwclas Castle stands on Ludlow Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ludlow. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.