Penarth Mount Castle Mound

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. Penarth Mount Castle Mound occupies the southern tip of a south-facing spur above a tributary of the Afon Edw. The motte, which measures c.38m north-east to south-west by c.35m at its base, and stands c.7-8m high, probably incorporates a natural knoll. Its summit is oval in shape and slightly hollowed, measuring c.18m east-west by c.13m. The ditch is best preserved on the north-east where it is c.1.0m deep and the counterscarp bank outside it rises to c.2.5m; on the south-west the ditch is approximately 0.8m deep. To the south the sharp slope of the hill renders a ditch unnecessary.

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. It measures approximately 78 metres north-south and 72 metres transversely.