Scheduled MonumentsWalesStormy Castle
Medieval · Motte

Stormy Castle

Wales
Cadw SAM GM217
Period
Medieval
Site type
Motte
Broad class
Defence
Nation
Wales
The designation
Reference
Cadw SAM GM217
Authority
Cadw
Designated
1952-04-22
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Stormy Castle is a medieval motte situated in Wales on land underlain by Triassic sandstone and conglomerate bedrock. The Triassic rocks, interbedded in composition, provide a firm foundation typical of the geological landscape across much of south Wales. The motte represents a common form of Norman or early medieval fortification, with its raised earthwork offering commanding views of the surrounding terrain.

The castle's defensive design—a prominent artificial mound crowned with a timber or stone structure—follows the established pattern of motte-and-bailey fortifications introduced to Wales following the Norman conquest. The elevated position afforded by the natural and worked topography would have provided both visual dominance and practical defensive advantage over the surrounding countryside, typical of such strongholds built to consolidate military control during the medieval period.

Stormy Castle is protected as a scheduled monument under Cadw, the Welsh heritage authority, with the reference number GM217. Its preservation reflects the archaeological and historical significance of medieval fortifications in Welsh landscapes, where such mottes survive as tangible reminders of the region's turbulent medieval history and the evolution of medieval military architecture in Wales.

Stormy Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM217. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Stormy Castle?

Stormy Castle is a medieval motte situated in Wales on land underlain by Triassic sandstone and conglomerate bedrock. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM217.

What period does Stormy Castle date from?

Stormy Castle dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.

Who is responsible for protecting Stormy Castle?

Stormy 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 GM217.

What other scheduled monuments are near Stormy Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Merthyr Mawr Warren (4.9 km), Candleston Castle (5 km), Hutchwns round barrow (5 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Stormy Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Stormy Castle's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Stormy Castle

Stormy Castle stands on Triassic Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Triassic. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.

The wider landscape

Around Stormy Castle

Caerphilly CastleArchaeological site · ~19.5 miles