Scheduled Monuments›Wales›Tomen y Rhodwydd (Castell yr Adwy) Mound and Bailey Castle
Medieval · Motte and Bailey

Tomen y Rhodwydd (Castell yr Adwy) Mound and Bailey Castle

Denbighshire, Wales
Cadw SAM DE018
Period
Medieval
Site type
Motte and Bailey
Broad class
Defence
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Tomen y Rhodwydd, also known as Castell yr Adwy, is a motte and bailey castle located in Denbighshire, Wales, and represents a significant example of Norman defensive architecture in the region. The site comprises a substantial mound, typical of motte and bailey construction, which would originally have supported a timber or stone fortification overlooking the surrounding landscape. Dating to the medieval period, likely the 11th or 12th century, this castle reflects the Norman settlement and military consolidation of Wales following their arrival in the region. The monument's strategic position and construction type indicate its importance as a local stronghold during the period of Anglo-Norman expansion into Wales.

Tomen y Rhodwydd (Castell yr Adwy) Mound and Bailey Castle is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference DE018. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Tomen y Rhodwydd (Castell yr Adwy) Mound and Bailey Castle?

Tomen y Rhodwydd, also known as Castell yr Adwy, is a motte and bailey castle located in Denbighshire, Wales, and represents a significant example of Norman defensive architecture in the region. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference DE018.

What period does Tomen y Rhodwydd (Castell yr Adwy) Mound and Bailey Castle date from?

Tomen y Rhodwydd (Castell yr Adwy) Mound 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.

Who is responsible for protecting Tomen y Rhodwydd (Castell yr Adwy) Mound and Bailey Castle?

Tomen y Rhodwydd (Castell yr Adwy) Mound 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 DE018.

What other scheduled monuments are near Tomen y Rhodwydd (Castell yr Adwy) Mound and Bailey Castle?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Eliseg's Pillar & Tumulus (7.5 km), Valle Crucis Abbey (8 km), Creigiau Eglwyseg Round Barrows & Earth Circle (8.1 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Tomen y Rhodwydd (Castell yr Adwy) Mound and Bailey Castle

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Tomen y Rhodwydd (Castell yr Adwy) Mound and Bailey 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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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Eliseg's Pillar & Tumulus
Prehistoric · Round Barrow7.5 km
Valle Crucis Abbey
Medieval · Abbey8 km
Creigiau Eglwyseg Round Barrows & Earth Circle
Prehistoric · Round Barrow8.1 km
Creigiau Eglwyseg Stone Circle
Prehistoric · Stone Circle8.3 km
Creigiau Eglwyseg Round Barrow
Prehistoric · Round Barrow8.3 km
Creigiau Eglwyseg Cairn
Prehistoric · Round Cairn8.4 km
Two Cairns on Ruabon Mountain
Prehistoric · Round Cairn8.5 km
Castell Dinas Bran
Medieval · Castle9.7 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Tomen y Rhodwydd (Castell yr Adwy) Mound and Bailey Castle

Tomen y Rhodwydd (Castell yr Adwy) Mound and Bailey Castle stands on Dinantian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Mississippian. The rock here is limestone with subordinate sandstone and argillaceous rocks.

All Scheduled Monuments