© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
Morlais Castle is a medieval fortification situated in the parish of Merthyr Tydfil in Glamorgan, Wales. The castle was constructed in the early thirteenth century, likely in the 1200s, as part of the Anglo-Norman consolidation of power in South Wales. The site consists of substantial earthwork defences including a prominent motte or elevated castle platform with associated baileys, demonstrating the typical motte-and-bailey design characteristic of Norman frontier fortifications. Though now ruinous, the castle's remains testify to its importance as a stronghold in the contested borderlands of medieval Glamorgan, occupying a strategically significant location overlooking the surrounding terrain.
Morlais Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM028. View the official record →
Morlais Castle is a medieval fortification situated in the parish of Merthyr Tydfil in Glamorgan, Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM028.
Morlais Castle dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a castle. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Morlais 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 GM028.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Graig-y-Gilfach round cairn and earthwork (6.5 km), Carn Castell y Meibion ring cairn (6.6 km), Merthyr Common Round Cairns (6.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Morlais Castle'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.
Morlais Castle stands on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.