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Newtown Hall Castle Mound is a medieval motte situated in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference MG160. The mound rises from bedrock composed of Wenlock Rocks, a sequence of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone dating to the Wenlock period. These fine-grained sediments provided a stable foundation for the earthwork, though the softer geology would have required careful engineering to prevent erosion of the motte's flanks.
The motte follows the conventional Norman design, comprising a raised earthen mound that originally supported a wooden or stone superstructure. Its construction would have involved significant labour to heap and compact soil, creating a defensible position that exploited the local topography. The site's location reflects the strategic priorities of medieval lords establishing authority across the Welsh landscape.
Today the mound survives as a recognisable landscape feature, testament to medieval fortification methods adapted to the Welsh terrain. Its preservation under Cadw protection ensures this important monument continues to demonstrate the engineering capabilities and military strategies of the medieval period in Wales.
Newtown Hall Castle Mound is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MG160. View the official record →
Newtown Hall Castle Mound is a medieval motte situated in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference MG160.
Newtown Hall 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.
Newtown Hall 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 MG160.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Crugyn Round Barrows (5.6 km), Crugyn Bank Dyke (5.9 km), Two Tumps Round Barrows (6.4 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Newtown Hall 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.
Newtown Hall Castle Mound stands on Wenlock Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.