Tre-Garnedd Moated Site

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.

The monument comprises the remains of a medieval moated homestead on the edge of Malltraeth Marsh. It was once the seat of Gruffydd ap Rhys or Llwyd, who was knighted by 1301 and was the leading Welshman of north Wales through the earlier fourteenth century.

A square enclosure is defined by a ditch and internal bank, which survive only on the W and S sides. At the SW corner the bank remains standing to a height of some 3 m above the bottom of the ditch, which is 5.5 m wide, and just over 1 m above the level of the interior. The interior, about 100 m square, has been much levelled and built over, but was once the site of a house. A section of the bank at the NE is visible where a ditch has been dug alongside the track which runs along the E side of the site.

Analysis and interpretation of LIDAR data shows that the moated site is aligned on the northern end of a spit of ground that projects into Malltraeth Marsh, a former sea inlet which was drained in the early 19th century, therefore the moat originally overlooked a saltmarsh inlet. Perception of the topography from the ground is that of the site sits in a slight bowl, with land rising gently in all directions, though slightly less noticeably to the south-west. There is no commanding view from ground level. However, its location on the edge of the higher ground to the immediate north of Malltraeth Marsh was clearly important in its location. During the post-medieval period the moated site became a farmstead, not dissimilar in size to many others in the area.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of medieval settlement and defence. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of associated archaeological features and deposits. The structures themselves may be expected to contain archaeological information concerning chronology and building techniques.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.