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Tir-y-Dail Motte and Bailey Castle is a medieval fortification comprising an earthen mound and bailey enclosure, situated in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference CM067. The site is constructed upon bedrock of the South Wales Middle Coal Measures Formation, a geological sequence of Moscovian age comprising mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal seams, ironstone and ferricrete. This coal-bearing geology has shaped the landscape of the region since the Carboniferous period, roughly 310 million years ago.
Motte and bailey castles were typically constructed by Norman and post-Conquest lords across Britain and Wales during the 11th and 12th centuries. They represent an economical form of fortification, requiring rapid construction using available earth and timber rather than costly stone. The mound, or motte, served as a platform for a wooden palisade and keep, whilst the bailey—an adjoining defended courtyard—provided space for domestic and military functions.
The underlying coal-bearing strata at Tir-y-Dail would have influenced both the construction of the monument and the settlement patterns of its medieval occupants. The ferricrete deposits, weathered iron-rich material, provided stable ground conditions for rampart construction. This site exemplifies the integration of medieval military architecture within Wales's distinctive geological and historical landscape.
Tir-y-Dail Motte and Bailey Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CM067. View the official record →
Tir-y-Dail Motte and Bailey Castle is a medieval fortification comprising an earthen mound and bailey enclosure, situated in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference CM067.
Tir-y-Dail Motte and Bailey 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.
Tir-y-Dail Motte and Bailey 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 CM067.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cairn 250m SW of Banc Llyn-Mawr (5.5 km), Bryn-y-Rhyd Standing Stone (5.5 km), Earthwork on Graig Fawr (5.7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Tir-y-Dail Motte and Bailey 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.
Tir-y-Dail Motte and Bailey Castle stands on Pennine Middle Coal Measures Formation And South Wales Middle Coal Measures Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Moscovian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.