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Mound in Churchyard is a medieval motte situated within a Welsh churchyard, constructed on bedrock of Wenlock Rocks comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone. This motte represents a form of defensive settlement common across Wales and the Welsh Marches during the medieval period. The stable geology of the Wenlock formation would have provided a firm foundation for the earthwork's construction and subsequent stability over centuries.
The mound's location within a churchyard demonstrates the close proximity of secular and religious authority in medieval Wales, a pattern repeated across many settlements. The integration of the motte into the later ecclesiastical landscape suggests the site's continued importance and protected status following the Norman period. Its position in the valley would have commanded views over surrounding land, typical of motte placement strategy.
Now protected by Cadw under reference MG117, the monument remains a significant record of medieval settlement patterns and defensive architecture in Wales. The survival of the mound as an upstanding earthwork provides evidence of Norman influence on Welsh settlement and territorial control during the medieval period. The Wenlock bedrock beneath the site has weathered centuries of occupation and provided essential geological support to this important historical feature.
Mound in Churchyard is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MG117. View the official record →
Mound in Churchyard is a medieval motte situated within a Welsh churchyard, constructed on bedrock of Wenlock Rocks comprising mudstone, siltstone and sandstone. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference MG117.
Mound in Churchyard dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Mound in Churchyard 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 MG117.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Ucheldre Camp (7.3 km), Camp 230m SE of Waen Heilyn (revealed by aerial photography) (7.8 km), Pen-y-Gaer Camp (8.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Mound in Churchyard'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.
Mound in Churchyard stands on Wenlock Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.