Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Norton Mound And Bailey Castle
Presteigne, Powys, Wales
A scheduled monument in Presteigne, Powys, recorded as Motte and Bailey (Medieval).
The record
- Designation
- Scheduled monument
- Site type
- Motte and Bailey
- Period
- Medieval
- Community
- Presteigne
- Unitary authority
- Powys
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates (centre of the scheduled area)
- 52.29947, -3.02241
- SAM number
- RD056
- Cadw record number
- 2588
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
5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1637 map "Particular description of Wales. Cambria seu Wallia" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1637 · Particular description of Wales. Cambria seu Wallia (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1830 · V.3:11-15:XV.Britisches Reich. A. Kon: England. a. England ab sich: Shire:15-17, 33 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1883 · Watershed map England, Wales 3. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1899 · 180 Knighton (Hills) (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1901 · Sheet 14. (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. 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. Norton Castle motte is c.26m in diameter and c.5m high, with a damaged summit c.7m in diameter. This is surrounded on the north-west, south-west and south-east sides by a ditch c.5m wide and c.0.3m deep, with a counterscarp bank outside it varying from c.8m to c.15m wide and from c.0.7 to c.1.5m high. The bailey is not scheduled but is assumed to occupy an area to the east, in the fork between the road and the next lane to its east. Scarps probably indicate its northern and eastern edges. The castle is recorded in 1191 and was taken by the Welsh in 1262. Leland in the mid 16th century recorded 'a little pilet or turret', presumably on top of the motte.
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
- The Old VicarageDomesticunder 1 mi
- Norton Post OfficeCommunicationsunder 1 mi
- War MemorialCommemorativeunder 1 mi
- Church of Saint AndrewReligious, Ritual and Funeraryunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.