PE208

Castell Dyffrynmawr  

02/08/1950  

Designated  

Pembrokeshire  

Crymych  

217483  

235171  

Defence  

Motte  

Medieval  

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 originally surmounted by a tower constructed of timber or stone. Castell Dyffrynmawr motte measures c 60m in diameter and rises c 7m high from a u-shaped ditch generally about 3m deep. Outside the ditch there is a small counterscarp bank about 1m high and 4 to 5 m wide. The top of the motte has a saucer shaped depression 3.3m deep, an old scar on the north west side resulting from stone-robbing indicates the top is surmounted by a perimeter wall built of flat stone slabs surviving to at least three courses high. 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.