Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Gwern-y-Domen Castle Mound
Van, Caerphilly, Wales
The record
- Designation
- Scheduled monument
- Site type
- Motte
- Period
- Medieval
- Date of designation
- 20 April 1953
- Community
- Van
- Unitary authority
- Caerphilly
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates (centre of the scheduled area)
- 51.58365, -3.19224
- SAM number
- GM218
- Cadw record number
- 3109
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 1636 "Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ..." (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 ditch, dating to the medieval period (c. 1066 -1540 AD). A motte is a large conical or pyramidal mound of soil and/or stone, usually surrounded by either a wet or dry ditch, and surmounted by a tower constructed of timber or stone.
The motte stands in a marshy field, butting onto a disused railway line on its south-west side. It is a large steep sided mound, 30m in diameter, c. 5m high. The top is flat, 20m in diameter, with a lip up to 2m high on the south side, 1m high on the north side. On the east side at the foot of the mound is a flat berm, c.4m wide, with a drop of c. 0.5m to the marshy field. This continues round to the north, where it is more bank like, until it is cut off by a field ditch.
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.
Nearby in the register
- War MemorialReligious, Ritual and Funeraryunder 1 mi
- Pont Bedwas (partly in Van community)Transportunder 1 mi
- Pont Bedwas (partly in Bedwas, Trethomas and Machen community)Transportunder 1 mi
- Bedwas Workmen's Hall and InstituteInstitutionalunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.