Stormy Castle

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 dating to the medieval period together with an area to the south containing the remains of later settlement with indications of medieval origins. A motte is a large conical or pyramidal mound of soil and/or stone, often surrounded by either a wet or dry ditch and surmounted by a tower constructed of timber or stone. Stormy Castle consists of an eroded circular mound approximately 3.0 m high, 35 m in diameter with a summit height diameter of between 15m and 18m. No trace remains of any ditch. The motte has been disturbed by a hedge bank and by two pits cut into its sides to the north and west. In the area to the south are scarps and grass-grown banks indicating former buildings; finds of pottery indicate occupation during the 18th to 19th centuries. A stone east gable to the southernmost building survives within a later field boundary and appears to be medieval. The motte is believed to represent the land-holding of the Norman lord Geoffrey Sturmi established before 1154 and eventually disposed of to Margam Abbey about 1175.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of medieval defensive practices. The monument is well-preserved and an important relic of the medieval landscape. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of both structural evidence and intact associated deposits.

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