CD077

Castell Trefilan  

14/09/1949  

Designated  

Ceredigion  

Nantcwnlle  

254898  

257108  

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. The mound is c.6m to 6.6m high and c.10.5m in diameter across the top. It is surrounded by a broad ditch c.5m wide and 1.8m deep, with an outer bank rising c.3.5m above the ditch and c.1m above the surrounding field. An old trench appears to have been dug across the top of the mound. 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.