Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Tomen Las Castle Mound
Pennal, Gwynedd, Wales
A scheduled monument in Pennal, Gwynedd, recorded as Motte (Medieval).
The record
- Designation
- Scheduled monument
- Site type
- Motte
- Period
- Medieval
- Community
- Pennal
- Unitary authority
- Gwynedd
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates (centre of the scheduled area)
- 52.58448, -3.92454
- SAM number
- ME043
- Cadw record number
- 3209
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 LibrariesLlyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – The National Library of WalesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1795 map "To Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn Bart ... the map of the six counties of North Wales is most humbly inscribed by his obedient humble servant" (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – The National Library of Wales).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1795 · To Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn Bart ... the map of the six counties of North Wales is most… (Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru – The National Library of Wales)
- 1830 · V.3:11-15:XV. Britisches Reich. A. Kon: England. b. Frstenthum Wales: Shire: 37-40 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1883 · Watershed map England, Wales 3. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1896 · Sheet 7. Ordnance Survey of England and Wales. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1901 · Sheet 9 and 10. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
Cadw's description
Summary description and reason for designation
The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.
Tomen Las Castle Mound is located in Talgarth Park, in marshy ground alongside a stream in the valley bottom of the Afon Pennal. The monument comprises the remains of a motte and the faint remains of a 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 surviving remains of Tomen Las measure approximately 4m in height and 30m in diameter, with a flat top approximately 15m across.
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
- Ty-bont, with Post Office and General StoresCommercialunder 1 mi
- Pont PennalTransportunder 1 mi
- Riverside HotelCommercialunder 1 mi
- Telephone Call-boxCommunicationsunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.