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Holywell Castle Mound is a medieval motte occupying a commanding position in the Welsh landscape. The mound rises from bedrock of Bowland High Group and Craven Group mudstones, siltstones and sandstones, deposited in the Bashkirian period of the Carboniferous. This solid geological foundation provided a stable base for the earthwork's construction and has helped preserve the structure through subsequent centuries.
The motte exemplifies the mound-and-bailey castle form that became prevalent in medieval Britain following the Norman conquest. Such fortifications served as administrative centres and strongholds, typically occupied during the 11th and 12th centuries. The height and position of the mound would have offered both defensive advantage and visibility across surrounding territory, essential for controlling local routes and settlements.
The site remains substantially intact and is protected by Cadw, the Welsh historic monuments authority, under reference FL029. The survival of the earthwork, undisturbed by later stone building or substantial erosion, permits study of its original form and construction method. The motte stands as evidence of the medieval consolidation of Norman authority and settlement patterns across Wales.
Holywell Castle Mound is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference FL029. View the official record →
Holywell Castle Mound is a medieval motte occupying a commanding position in the Welsh landscape. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference FL029.
Holywell 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.
Holywell 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 FL029.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Round Barrow 180m E of Mwccwd (5.9 km), Hen-y-Fail Round Barrow (6.8 km), Bryn y Cwm Mound & Bailey Castle (7.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Holywell 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.
Holywell Castle Mound stands on Bowland High Group And Craven Group (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Bashkirian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.