Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Great House Mound & Bailey Castle
Gwernyfed, Powys, Wales
The record
- Designation
- Scheduled monument
- Site type
- Motte and Bailey
- Period
- Medieval
- Community
- Gwernyfed
- Unitary authority
- Powys
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates (centre of the scheduled area)
- 52.03481, -3.20855
- SAM number
- BR080
- Cadw record number
- 1735
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1608 "(13) Cambriae Typus." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Cadw's description
Summary description and reason for designation
The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument.
The monument comprises the remains of a motte and bailey castle, a military stronghold built during the medieval period. The site is keyhole shaped in plan and located on the end of a small bluff which is surrounded on three sides by water meadows bordering the Afon Llynfi. The motte has a base diameter of 34m, is 6m high and has a flat summit 16m in diameter. The bailey lies to the E of the motte and measures 50m by 30m. It is separated from the motte by a the filled-in remains of a ditch, and is bounded by natural slopes to the N and S. An original causewayed entrance crosses the moat on the S side.
The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of medieval defensive organisation. The well-preserved monument forms an important element within the wider medieval context and the structure itself may be expected to contain archaeological information relating to chronology, building techniques and functional detail.
The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.
Nearby in the register
- Aberllynfi chapelChapelunder 1 mi
- The Three Cocks HotelCommercialunder 1 mi
- Round Barrow 90m NE of Pipton FarmMoundunder 1 mi
- Pipton farmhouseDomesticunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.