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Plas Yr Alarch Moated Site is a medieval moated site located in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument under Cadw reference MG219. The site occupies ground underlain by Ludlow Rocks, a geological formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone that dates to the Ludlow period. This underlying geology would have influenced both the drainage characteristics and the stability of the moat itself, as these fine-grained sedimentary rocks typically produce relatively impermeable soils suitable for retaining water.
Moated sites of this type were characteristic of medieval Welsh gentry residences, typically dating from the twelfth to sixteenth centuries. The moat served both defensive and prestige functions, marking the status of the occupant whilst providing a practical water barrier. The precise form and dimensions of the moat at Plas Yr Alarch would have been carefully adapted to local topography and available materials.
The monument survives as an earthwork feature within the Welsh landscape, preserving important evidence of medieval settlement patterns and the social hierarchy of rural Wales. Such sites remain rare in Wales compared to English counties, making Plas Yr Alarch a significant resource for understanding medieval Welsh domestic and military architecture during the period of English expansion into Wales.
Plas Yr Alarch Moated Site is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MG219. View the official record →
Plas Yr Alarch Moated Site is a medieval moated site located in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument under Cadw reference MG219.
Plas Yr Alarch Moated 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.
Plas Yr Alarch Moated 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 MG219.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cefn Bryntalch Mound & Bailey Castle (7.7 km), Henfron Moated Site (7.8 km), Ffridd Faldwyn Camp (8 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Plas Yr Alarch Moated 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.
Plas Yr Alarch Moated Site stands on Ludlow Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ludlow. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.