BR077

Castle Mound near Swan Hotel  

 

Designated  

Powys  

Hay  

322652  

242190  

Defence  

Motte  

Medieval  

The following provides a general description of the scheduled ancient monument. The monument comprises the remains of a motte and surrounding ditch, dating to the medieval period (c. 1066 -1540 AD). The motte is small, measuring 21m in diameter across the summit and 4.5m high, with steep sides and traces of a ditch on the western side. The site is probably the precursor to Hay Castle (BR076) and may be the Castle of Hay mentioned in sources from the reign of Henry I (1100 to 1135). The motte is located on level ground to the NE of a small steep valley, above the confluence of the Cogin Brook and the river Wye. A WWII observation tower was built on the W side of the summit, the remains of which comprise a 3m wide and 1m deep depression with an adjacent square concrete pad with an embedded iron pole. 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.