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Llysun Motte and Bailey is a medieval motte and bailey castle situated in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference MG072. The monument consists of the characteristic two-part earthwork typical of Norman and post-Conquest fortifications, comprising a raised mound (motte) and an adjacent enclosure (bailey). These structures were rapidly constructed using earth and timber during the medieval period to provide defensive strongholds across newly conquered territories.
The site's underlying bedrock comprises Wenlock Rocks, a formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone deposited during the Wenlock epoch of the Silurian period, approximately 427 to 423 million years ago. This geology shaped both the landscape and the practical possibilities for castle construction at Llysun. The relatively soft, workable nature of these sedimentary rocks and surrounding soils would have facilitated the earthmoving required to create the motte's elevated platform.
As a motte and bailey, Llysun reflects the dominant military architecture of the medieval borderlands and Welsh territories. Such fortifications typically housed a timber palisade and keep atop the motte, with additional defensive structures and occupation areas within the bailey below. The monument remains an important record of medieval settlement and territorial control in Wales.
Llysun Motte and Bailey is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MG072. View the official record →
Llysun Motte and Bailey is a medieval motte and bailey castle situated in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference MG072.
Llysun Motte and Bailey 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.
Llysun Motte and Bailey 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 MG072.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Gardden Camp & Barrows (1.5 km), Mynydd Waun Fawr Roman road (2.8 km), Pencad Cymru Cairn (4.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Llysun Motte and Bailey'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.
Llysun Motte and Bailey stands on Wenlock Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.