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Tomen y Clawdd is a medieval motte situated in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference GM064. The earthwork consists of a substantial raised mound characteristic of early Norman fortifications, designed to support a timber tower and defensive palisade. Such structures functioned as centres of military control and administration during the medieval period, commanding their surrounding landscape.
The motte stands upon bedrock of the South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, Westphalian in age, composed of mudstone, siltstone, sandstone with seams of coal and ironstone, and bands of ferricrete. This underlying geology influenced both the construction techniques employed and the choice of location, as the compacted coal-bearing sediments provided stable foundations for the substantial earthwork. The ferricrete would have been visible in the local stone resources available to the builders.
The monument survives as a testimony to medieval defensive strategy in Wales, erected when such mottes formed the frontline of Norman expansion and Welsh resistance. The site's survival depends upon continued protection and sympathetic land management to prevent erosion of its earthwork profile and to maintain visibility of this significant record of medieval military architecture.
Tomen y Clawdd is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM064. View the official record →
Tomen y Clawdd is a medieval motte situated in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference GM064.
Tomen y Clawdd dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Tomen y Clawdd 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 GM064.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Rhiw Saeson Caerau (4.3 km), Cae-yr-Arfau Burial Chamber (4.6 km), Castell Coch (5.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Tomen y Clawdd'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.
Tomen y Clawdd stands on South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.