Cefn Bryntalch Mound & Bailey Castle

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 motte and bailey castle, a military stronghold built during the medieval period. A motte and bailey castle comprises a large conical or pyramidal mound of soil or stone (the motte) surrounded by, or adjacent to, one or more embanked enclosures (the bailey). Both may be surrounded by wet or dry ditches and could be further strengthened with palisades, revetments, and/or a tower on top of the motte. Cefn Bryntalch is an earthwork castle formed by adapting a ridge-end position above the Severn to produce two enclosures. The lower of these, c.40m by 20m, embanked and with a causewayed entrance, is open towards an upper work, c.28m by 20m, itself completely embanked. The whole is ditched about with a counterscarp, c.155m by 76m overall.

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.