GM256

Morganstown Castle Mound  

29/05/1958  

Designated  

Cardiff  

Radyr and Morganstown  

312833  

181879  

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 motte stands c. 4m high with steep sides and a flat top c. 14m in diameter. The ditch around the mound is variable: on the south side it is c. 6m wide with an outer bank c. 1m high and 2.5m wide; on the west side the ditch is the same; on the north and east sides there is no external bank. To the north-east of the mound, near the field boundary, there is a slight ditch and bank running north-south on slightly higher ground. The ditch is 3m wide and the bank is 0.7m high on the outer side of the ditch. 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.