CM238

Waun Twmpath Motte  

19/01/1989  

Designated  

Carmarthenshire  

Cefn Sidan  

246571  

202556  

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. Waun Twmpath measures 6m high and 35 metres in diameter and is surrounded by a silted up, but still visible ditch. It is situated at the head of a ridge of high ground, on the north and east of which the ground slopes steeply. There is no apparent bailey, or outer earthwork. 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.