© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
Radnor Castle is a medieval motte and bailey castle located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference RD033. The monument consists of a raised earthwork mound, typical of Norman and early medieval fortifications, constructed to command the surrounding landscape. The castle sits upon Wenlock Rocks, a bedrock of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formed in the Wenlock period, which would have provided a stable foundation whilst offering natural resources for building stone had construction required quarrying locally.
The motte and bailey design reflects military architecture of the medieval period, with the primary mound designed to support a wooden or stone tower that would serve defensive and administrative functions. The bailey, an enclosed courtyard area at the base of the mound, would have housed domestic and service buildings. This arrangement was a practical response to medieval warfare, offering elevated defensive positions and visual command over approach routes.
The Wenlock bedrock geology underlying the site is characteristic of the Welsh borderlands and Midlands region, formed during the Silurian period. This relatively stable geology would have been instrumental in determining the site's suitability for fortification, as the underlying strata provided firm ground for substantial earthwork construction. The castle remains a significant example of early medieval military architecture within the Welsh landscape.
Radnor Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference RD033. View the official record →
Radnor Castle is a medieval motte and bailey castle located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference RD033.
Radnor Castle dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte and bailey. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Radnor 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 RD033.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Gilwern Brook round barrow (5.6 km), Worsell Wood cairn cemetery (5.7 km), Llanfihangel Hill round barrow (5.9 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Radnor 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.
Radnor Castle stands on Wenlock Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Wenlock. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.