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Llanwrda Castle Mound is a medieval motte situated in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument under Cadw reference CM239. The earthwork rises from bedrock composed of Ashgill rocks—undifferentiated mudstone, siltstone and sandstone deposited during the Ashgill period—which provided a stable foundation for Norman or post-Conquest military construction. The mound's position exploited the local geology to create a defensible strongpoint, typical of motte-and-bailey castles established across Wales following the Norman arrival in Britain. Such mottes usually comprised a high, steep-sided artificial or partially artificial mound topped by a timber palisade and keep, often accompanied by an outer bailey. The Ashgill bedrock beneath Llanwrda would have offered reasonable drainage and structural integrity for the ramped or sloped access typical of these castles. Though no longer displaying masonry or substantial superstructure, the mound preserves the fundamental military engineering of early medieval castle design, representing an important phase of Anglo-Norman territorial control and settlement in the Welsh landscape.
Llanwrda Castle Mound is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CM239. View the official record →
Llanwrda Castle Mound is a medieval motte situated in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument under Cadw reference CM239.
Llanwrda 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.
Llanwrda 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 CM239.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Castell Waunberllan (4.7 km), Cae Sara Lead Mine (5.5 km), Castell Meurig (5.6 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Llanwrda 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.
Llanwrda Castle Mound stands on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.