© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
Trecastle motte and bailey is a medieval motte earthwork situated in Wales on bedrock composed of Lower Devonian rocks. The underlying geology of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone, formed during the Early Devonian period, shaped the foundation upon which the motte was constructed. This solid bedrock base would have provided stable ground for the earthwork's construction and subsequent occupation.
The motte and bailey represents a common form of Norman and post-Norman fortification found throughout the medieval Welsh landscape. Such monuments typically comprised a raised mound, or motte, often accompanied by an adjacent bailey or outer defensive enclosure. Trecastle's position reflects strategic settlement patterns of the medieval period, with the elevated mound offering both defensive advantage and a commanding position over the surrounding terrain.
The site is protected and recorded by Cadw, the Welsh heritage agency, under the monument reference MM098. This designation recognises the archaeological and historical significance of Trecastle motte and bailey as an important survival of medieval military architecture in Wales. The earthwork remains a valuable record of medieval fortification practices and settlement in the Welsh landscape.
Trecastle motte and bailey is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MM098. View the official record →
Trecastle motte and bailey is a medieval motte earthwork situated in Wales on bedrock composed of Lower Devonian rocks. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference MM098.
Trecastle motte and bailey dates from the medieval period, and is classified as a motte. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Trecastle motte and bailey 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 MM098.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Great House Camp (4.2 km), Ringwork NE of New House (6.5 km), Camp 650m South of Ty Freeman (7.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Trecastle motte and bailey'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.
Trecastle motte and bailey stands on Lower Devonian Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Early Devonian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.