RD054

Bryn y Castell  

 

Designated  

Powys  

Knighton  

329016  

272177  

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 surmounted by a tower constructed of timber or stone. Bryn y Castell is located on the south bank of the Teme, almost equidistant from the mottes at Knucklas and Lower Stanage. The motte is c.35m in diameter and c.4m high above the base of a ditch c.1m deep. its summit is c.15m in diameter. The bailey probably lay to the south, but the area is now covered by the Knighton Town Cricket ground. As at Lower Stanage, the ditch of the motte disappears on the north side into an almost sheer drop of 12 to 15m to the flat water meadows bounding the river. 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.