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Rhuddlan Town Banks is a medieval town defence comprising earthwork ramparts that encircled the settlement of Rhuddlan in Wales. Constructed during the medieval period as part of the town's fortification scheme, these banks represent the physical boundary of the urban settlement. The earthworks follow the characteristic plan of a planned medieval town, with defensive banks built to protect the inhabitants and their commercial activities from external threat. The banks were erected upon Permian sandstone and conglomerate bedrock, which provided a stable foundation for the substantial earthwork construction required.
The monument survives as a series of raised ramparts that trace the original perimeter of the defended town. Medieval town walls and banks of this type were common throughout Wales and the English Marches, particularly following Norman consolidation of territories. The defensive system at Rhuddlan formed an integral part of the town's infrastructure, working in conjunction with gated entrances to control access and movement of people and goods.
The site is protected as a scheduled ancient monument under Cadw, the historic monuments service of Wales, and is recorded under reference FL068. The preservation of these earthworks provides evidence for understanding medieval urban planning, settlement patterns and defensive strategies in Wales during the medieval period.
Rhuddlan Town Banks is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference FL068. View the official record →
Rhuddlan Town Banks is a medieval town defence comprising earthwork ramparts that encircled the settlement of Rhuddlan in Wales. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference FL068.
Rhuddlan Town Banks dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a town defences. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Rhuddlan Town Banks 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 FL068.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bedd-y-Cawr Hillfort (5.7 km), Ffynnon Fair (Well), Cefn (6.4 km), Bont Newydd Cave (6.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Rhuddlan Town Banks'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.
Rhuddlan Town Banks stands on Permian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Permian. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.