MM080

Twyn y Cregen Castle Mound  

01/10/1937  

Designated  

Monmouthshire  

Llanarth  

336273  

209665  

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). The site consists of a large conical, steep-sided mound, 5m high, with a flat top. The surrounding ditch is not visible on the grounds. On the S side of the mound is a depression caused by the quarrying of the site for gravel. A brief excavation of the motte in 1936 revealed that it had been constructed by augmenting a natural mound by digging a ditch around it and raising and levelling the top. On the summit of the motte a hearth was found, together with charcoal and an assemblage of high quality medieval pottery. 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.