BR026

Trecastle Mound and Bailey Castle  

 

Designated  

Powys  

Llywel  

288248  

229136  

Defence  

Motte and Bailey  

Medieval  

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. The monument is located at the east end of the village, immediately adjacent to the A40 road. The motte is oval in plan, with a base measuring 26m by 15m, and stands 7m high. The summit is flat, with a large depression towards the southern side. The motte is surrounded by a ditch with a counterscarp on the outer edge. The bailey is located to the west of the motte and measures around 60m E/W. It is surrounded by a bank, 2.7m high, with a counterscarp outside the bank. The southern defences of both motte and bailey have been destroyed by the modern road. 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.