Scheduled MonumentsWalesCrug Eryr Mound and Bailey Castle
Medieval · Motte and Bailey

Crug Eryr Mound and Bailey Castle

Radnorshire, Wales
Cadw SAM RD003
Period
Medieval
Site type
Motte and Bailey
Broad class
Defence
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Crug Eryr Mound and Bailey Castle is a motte and bailey fortification located in Radnorshire, Wales, representing a typical Norman earthwork defence of the twelfth century. The castle comprises a raised mound surmounted by a fortified enclosure, with an associated bailey or outer defensive court, characteristic of the earliest phase of Norman military architecture in Wales. The site's location in the Radnorshire uplands reflects the strategic importance of this region during the Norman advance into Welsh territories, serving as a point of control and administration within the wider pattern of conquest and settlement. Like many motte and bailey castles in the Welsh Marches, Crug Eryr was likely superseded by stone fortifications as Norman consolidation progressed, though its earthwork remains survive as testament to the military methods employed in the frontier landscape of medieval Wales.

Crug Eryr Mound and Bailey Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference RD003. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Crug Eryr Mound and Bailey Castle?

Crug Eryr Mound and Bailey Castle is a motte and bailey fortification located in Radnorshire, Wales, representing a typical Norman earthwork defence of the twelfth century. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference RD003.

What period does Crug Eryr Mound and Bailey Castle date from?

Crug Eryr Mound and Bailey Castle dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte and bailey. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Crug Eryr Mound and Bailey Castle?

Crug Eryr Mound and Bailey 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 RD003.

What other scheduled monuments are near Crug Eryr Mound and Bailey Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Penarth Mount Castle Mound (7.5 km), Six Stones Stone Circle (7.6 km), Cefn Wylfre Round Barrows (8.4 km).

Aubrey Research

Generate a full report for this location

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in the UK — drawing on scheduled monument data, Domesday records, Roman heritage, PAS finds and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.

Research the area around Crug Eryr Mound and Bailey Castle