Tomen Bedd Ugre Mound & Bailey Castle

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. Tomen Bedd-Ugre is a ditched motte, set on a prominent local summit with wide views to the south. It measures 34m in diameter and 6.0m in height, and is surrounded on the east, south and west by a ditch c.1.0m deep which has narrow causeways crossing it on the south and south-west. The motte lies at the apex of an oval bailey, which is defended by a bank and ditch and measures c.38m by 56m, with a slightly inturned entrance on the south. Within the bailey at a point opposite the south-west causeway of the motte ditch is a slight earthwork measuring c.12m south-west to north-east by 5m, which may be a hut platform.

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.