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Nant-Cribau Moated House Site is a medieval moated homestead situated in Wales on bedrock of Wenlock rocks, a geological formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone dating to the Wenlock period. The underlying geology would have influenced the retention of water within the moat and the ease with which the defensive earthwork could be constructed. As a moated site, it represents a category of high-status residence that became established across Britain from the 12th century onwards, typically comprising a central platform surrounded by a water-filled ditch that served both defensive and status-signalling purposes.
The site is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage body, under reference MG102, reflecting its significance as a documented monument within the Welsh medieval landscape. Moated sites of this type commonly originated as the residences of minor gentry, lesser lords or substantial yeomen farmers, many of which were occupied throughout the medieval period and into the early modern era.
The specific topography and geology of Nant-Cribau would have determined the feasibility of water management within the moat and the character of settlement occupation at this location. Such sites frequently leave little visible surface evidence beyond earthwork remains, making them important archaeological records of medieval settlement patterns and domestic life in Wales.
Nant-Cribau Moated House Site is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MG102. View the official record →
Nant-Cribau Moated House Site is a medieval moated homestead situated in Wales on bedrock of Wenlock rocks, a geological formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone dating to the Wenlock period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference MG102.
Nant-Cribau Moated House Site dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a moated site. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Nant-Cribau Moated House Site 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 MG102.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Motte castle 400m north east of Upper Gwarthlow Farm (6 km), Offa's Dyke: Section from Dudston Covert, Lymore to Lack Brook, Churchstoke (6.9 km), Offa's Dyke: section NW of Ditches Farm Also in Powys: Wales (7.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Nant-Cribau Moated House Site'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.
Nant-Cribau Moated House Site stands on Wenlock Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.