Scheduled MonumentsWalesTrueman's Hill motte
Medieval · Motte and Bailey

Trueman's Hill motte

Flintshire, Wales
Cadw SAM FL030
Period
Medieval
Site type
Motte and Bailey
Broad class
Defence
Nation
Wales
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw

Overview

History & significance

Trueman's Hill motte is a medieval motte and bailey earthwork located in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw. The site sits upon bedrock of the Millstone Grit Group, a sequence of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone deposits formed during the Namurian period of the Carboniferous. This hard, competent geology provided a stable foundation for the construction and survival of the earthwork.

The motte comprises an elevated mound topped by a flattened platform where a timber or stone keep would once have stood. The bailey, a lower courtyard area enclosed by its own defences, adjoins the motte. This paired arrangement represents the standard defensive design adopted by Norman and early medieval lords to protect their holdings and maintain control over local territory.

The survival of Trueman's Hill's earthworks reflects the durability of such constructed landforms on stable ground. Although the timber superstructures have long vanished, the underlying mound and enclosure banks remain clearly visible features of the medieval Welsh landscape, documenting the military and administrative reach of their original builders.

Trueman's Hill motte is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference FL030. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Trueman's Hill motte?

Trueman's Hill motte is a medieval motte and bailey earthwork located in Wales and protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference FL030.

What period does Trueman's Hill motte date from?

Trueman's Hill motte 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 Trueman's Hill motte?

Trueman's Hill motte 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 FL030.

What other scheduled monuments are near Trueman's Hill motte?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Wat's Dyke: Section NW of Clawdd Offa (5.6 km), Wat's Dyke: Two sections between Clawdd Offa & Pigeon House Farm (6.7 km), Wat's Dyke: Section N of Carlton Grange (7 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Trueman's Hill motte

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Trueman's Hill motte'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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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Trueman's Hill motte

Trueman's Hill motte stands on Millstone Grit Group [See Also Migr], bedrock that formed in the Namurian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

The wider landscape

Around Trueman's Hill motte

Battle of Rowton Heath 1645Battle (1645) · ~9.1 miles