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Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales

Castle Mound 400m N of Cefnige

Painscastle, Powys, Wales

A scheduled monument in Painscastle, Powys, recorded as Motte (Medieval).

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1913) covering the location of Castle Mound 400m N of Cefnige, Painscastle, Powys, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1913), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Designation
Scheduled monument
Site type
Motte
Period
Medieval
Community
Painscastle
Unitary authority
Powys
Country
Wales
Coordinates (centre of the scheduled area)
52.09574, -3.27789
SAM number
RD071
Cadw record number
504

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1608 map "(13) Cambriae Typus." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1608 · (13) Cambriae Typus. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1636 · Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ... (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1637 · Particular description of Wales. Cambria seu Wallia (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1898 · 197 Hay (Hills) (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1901 · Sheet 14. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

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This record in Cadw's own full report ↗

Cadw's description

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. This site, also known as Llandeilo Graban Motte, is situated near the end of a ridge running eastwards between two streams. It is c.34m in diameter at its base and stands up to c.7m above the base of the ditch, which is c.7m wide and c.2m deep. The summit is c.20m in diameter and is flat with no obvious structural features.

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

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Designated Historic Asset GIS Data, The Welsh Historic Environment Service (Cadw), 2026-09-07, licensed under the Open Government Licence http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ Cadw, the Welsh Historic Environment Service · Open Government Licence v3.0
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