PE205

Castell Crychydd  

02/08/1950  

Designated  

Pembrokeshire  

Clydey  

226133  

234779  

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. At Castell Crychydd the motte rises 6.1m above the encircling ditch and is saucer shaped, the interior of c 24m diameter is c 3.5m below the edges. A causewayed entrance on the west crosses into a banked & ditched bailey measuring c 70m north-west to south-east by 38m, earthworks on the west where the bailey lies on a stream may represent a mill, or fishpond. 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.