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Cottrell Castle Mound is a medieval motte located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference GM364. The mound was constructed on bedrock comprising Dinantian rocks, a formation of Mississippian age dominated by limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous layers. This substantial geology would have provided a stable foundation for the earthwork, whilst the local stone resources offered potential for later fortification and building work.
The motte represents a common form of early medieval military architecture, typical of the Norman and post-Norman settlement patterns across Wales and the Welsh Marches. Such mounds served as defensive strongpoints and focal points for local authority, their raised platforms offering strategic advantage over surrounding terrain. The earthwork's construction would have required significant labour to shape and consolidate the mound from available soil and stone.
The site's survival and scheduling as a protected monument reflects the archaeological importance of such structures in understanding medieval Wales. Mottos of this period provide evidence of settlement hierarchy, territorial control and the strategies employed by both indigenous and settler communities during a transformative period in Welsh history.
Cottrell Castle Mound is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM364. View the official record →
Cottrell Castle Mound is a medieval motte located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference GM364.
Cottrell Castle 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.
Cottrell Castle 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 GM364.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Barry Castle (7.6 km), Site of Medieval Mill & Mill Leat Cliffwood (7.6 km), Westward Corner Round Barrow (7.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cottrell Castle 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.
Cottrell Castle Mound stands on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.