Castles in Powys Part 1: Many Castles we visit are small ruins, usually old timber Motte and Bailey castles, that were either never upgraded to stone, were destroyed during their use or destroyed once abandoned. Here are just seven Motte and Bailey ruins found in LD1 postal area, there are still lots more castles in Powys yet to discover.
These ruins are quick and easy to visit, (once we find them anyway), they are usually just a steep small man-made grass covered hill, or a few ditches.
These castles wont have their own post, so we will include these in shorter visit reports like this one.
If you have anything you’d like to know about these castle ruins, anything to add, edit, compliment or criticise please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Here is the report from this weeks adventures in Mid-Wales, where we visited seven motte and bailey castles in Powys, all in the ‘LD1’ postcode covering the countryside around Llandrindod.
We were really on a roll, with seven Motte and Bailey castles in Powys visited and still hours of daylight and plenty more on our list to attempt, when we broke down.
Even stuck in the middle of nowhere, with no phone signal, we managed to find a friendly farmer/mechanic a mile down the road who tricked the car into thinking it was fixed and we were able to limp home.
Here’s what we did see, all Motte and Bailey style castles.
Castle Fact-file: Colwyn Castle
Name: Colwyn Castle
Type of Castle: Motte and Bailey
Also Known As: /
Location: Hundred House, Llandrindod Wells
Postcode: LD1 5RU
What3words: ///tablets.crossword.intruding
Coordinates: 52.1769°N 3.3065°W
Grid Reference: SO10765399
Visited: April 2022
The 131st castle that the Welsh Castle Project have visited.
Colwyn Castle, Llandrindod, is a deep/steep full circle earthworks with a large Motte where now stands a big pink farm house occupied by a rude farmer.
There is not much information to be found about this small ruin.
“Colwyn Castle was a medieval castle near Llansantffraed, Powys in mid-Wales. It was built on the site of a Roman fort. The castle was captured in 1196 by Rhys ap Gruffydd, who was campaigning against the Normans. It was rebuilt in 1242 by Ralph de Mortimer to protect the lordship of Maelienydd.”
Castle Fact-file: Cefnllys Castle(s)
Name: Cefnllys Castle(s)
Type of Castle: Spur Castle/s, Motte and Bailey
Also Known As: Old Castle Mound, Cefnllys Medieval Settlement
Location: Unnamed Road, Llandrindod Wells
Postcode: LD1 5PD
What3words: ///enlighten.mascot.slap (castle one) and; ///modest.trending.pile (castle two)
Coordinates: 52.2438°N 3.3353°W
Grid Reference: SO09206303
Castle History:
c. 1093–95 (motte-and-bailey castle)
c. 1242 (first masonry castle)
1273–74 (second masonry castle)
Norman invasion of Wales (1067–1100s)
Anglo-Welsh war (1256–67)
Revolt of Madog ap Llywelyn (1294–95)
Revolt of Owain Glyndŵr (1400–15)
Visited: April 2022
The 132nd and 133rd castles that the Welsh Castle Project have visited. – Cefnllys castle(s) Llandrindod, two for the price of one! I’ve been here before and didn’t even know they were castles. Two successive masonry castles were built on a ridge above the River Ithon known as Castle Bank (Welsh: Craig y Castell, ‘castle rock’) they were strategically important within the Welsh Marches.
Up a steep natural hill is the earthworks for two separate castles both on the same hill (at either ends) piles of rubble and ditches and earthworks are all that remain great views across wide basin valley.
The castle was captured and slighted in 1262 by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Wales, during a war with Henry III of England. Cefnllys is featured prominently in the ensuing Treaty of Montgomery. The construction of a new castle on the south-east side of the hill by Roger Mortimer was a contributing factor to Llywelyn’s refusal to swear fealty to Edward I in 1275, leading to war in 1277.
The castle may have been sacked during the revolts of Madog ap Llywelyn (1294–1295) and Owain Glyndŵr (1400–1415), but remained occupied until at least the mid-15th century, when it was described in a series of poems by the bard Lewys Glyn Cothi.
Both castles on Castle Bank are now entirely ruinous and only traces remain; the sole surviving medieval structure at Cefnllys is St Michael’s Church below.
Tips for visiting:
Park at the bottom of the hill, car parking area identified as ‘Bailey Einon’. Cross the little bridge and head towards the church you can see. There’s an information board in St Michael’s church about the area. From the church you can see the steep slope to the East, follow the circular path around the hill rather than the track that goes straight up as it’s equidistant and easier to walk up.
Castle Fact-file: Neuadd Castle
Name: Neuadd Castle
Type of Castle: Motte and Bailey
Also Known As: Neuadd Wen Mound, Siambr ddu, Llys Wgan.
Location: Walnut Close, Llandrindod Wells
Postcode: LD1 5PE
What3words: ///unwraps.wolf.expires
Coordinates: 52.248369, -3.368283
Grid Reference: SJ04221140
Visited: April 2022
The 134th castle that the Welsh Castle Project have visited.
Neuadd Castle, Llandrindod, tiered banks where a farmhouse now stands are probably all that remains of Neuadd Wen Mound Also known as; Siambr ddu.
“Now a farmhouse, was anciently the mansion of Meredydd ab Cynan ab Owain Gwynedd, Prince of Wales, and appears, from the few remains of the old building which have been found among some rubbish at the back of the present house, to have been erected about the eleventh or twelfth century: among these vestiges were the ruins of an arched window, with mouldings of freestone, in the style of that age. This mansion was once called Llys Wgan, from a rivulet near the spot.”
When we struggled to find the castle we asked the farmer in the house where the coordinates took us. They knew there were lots of castles in Powys but were unaware that there was any castle ruins in the area, let alone under their farmhouse! When leaving we noticed the farmhouse is sited on a series of banks, we suspect these are what remains of the castles earthworks.
Castle Fact-file: Cymaron Castle
Name: Cymaron,
Type of Castle: Motte and Bailey
Also Known As: Cwm Aran or Castell Gemaron
Location: Lower Sign/Llanbister Rd, Llandrindod Wells
Postcode: LD1 6SP
What3words: ///deep.plump.pill
Coordinates: 52.324668, -3.244996
Grid Reference: SO 1524670349
Visited: April 2022
The 135th castle that the Welsh Castle Project have visited.
Cymaron, or Cwm Aran, Llandrindod, is initially hard to find and not as grand as was expected, for a supposed ‘abandoned medieval ghost town’. Just a simple steep Motte and bailey earthworks with more severe than standard outer sides, earthworks round in an angled semi-circle.
“The motte is roughly rectangular and stands up to 50 feet high in a bailey 125 feet by 70 feet in diameter. It was destroyed twice in the 12th century by the Welsh, and again in the 13th, each time being rebuilt. It was in use until the late 14th century.”
Castle Fact-file: Tomen Bedd Urge
Name: Tomen Bedd Urge
Type of Castle: Motte and Bailey
Also Known As: Tomen Buddurge; Tomen Bedd Turc; Bedd-y-gre
Location: LLANDDEWI YSTRADENNY
Postcode: LD1 6SH
What3words: ///ironclad.myth.draw
Coordinates: 52.317607,-3.320745
Grid Reference: SO 1007069655
Visited: April 2022
The 136th castle that the Welsh Castle Project have visited. Tomen Bedd Urge, up from the farm up the gentle slope up past the pond and to the highest nearby hill to find what remains of this old Motte and bailey, shallow earthworks and a small dome-like steep Motte are all that remain.
“Castle was perhaps built by Cadwallon. In style this castle appears Welsh because it sits high on a hill top rather than low in a valley like Norman castles of this time. A rectangular crop-mark, some distance from the motte possibly marks the site of the llys, or local royal hall.”
Tips for visiting:
The site pinpointed as being the Tomen Bedd Urge motte and bailey is not quite accurate. The Google pinpoint marks of the site of the ‘Royal Hall’ not the site of the fortification. If you carry on up the hill past the banks which may be the royal hall, keep going up past the pond and you can see the unmistakable remnants of the classic Motte and Bailey at the highest point of the hill. It is unclear if this ‘Royal Hall’ is classed as a separate castle, or if they are treated as one.
Castle Fact-file: Castell y Blaidd
Name: Castell y Blaidd
Type of Castle: Motte and Bailey
Also Known As: Wolfs Castle
Location: Glyndwr’s Way, Knighton
Postcode: LD1 6YG
What3words: ///sharpened.snack.elders
Coordinates: 52.409161,-3.287889
Grid Reference: SO 1249079798
Visited: April 2022
The 137th castle that the Welsh Castle Project have visited and the seventh and final castle in Powys we visited before the car died.
Castell y Blaidd, this medium-sized Motte and bailey with two rings of earthworks the outer shallow ditch and the inner high ditch is all that remains of this Fort.
“The ramparts describe an open-ended oval, defined by ditches and counter-scarp earthworks. The entire enclosure measures 35 metres wide and 55 metres long, with a wide entrance opening at the west end. It is thought that the enclosure was never finished.”
Tips for visiting:
This motte and bailey ruined castle in Powys is remote, we followed a farm track for some time, having to open and shut gates along the route. Once we found the site we then followed the satnav to our next planned castle, However, the road was so bumpy and uneven and the stopping and starting to open gates, the wind turbine signs saying ‘exit’, but pointing us deeper into the wilderness until the track just abruptly stopped… Poor road conditions in conjunction with getting lost in the hills is likely why a few miles down the road, once we eventually got out, damaged our car quite badly. If you try to visit this castle we highly recommend going back the way you came after you found it, DON’T rely on your satnav and don’t go down THAT track. Good luck
There are many more castles in Powys yet to explore, this was just in one of the many postal areas in the county. We’ll be back up this way soon to tackle another postal area.
Thank you for adventuring with us!
If you have anything you’d like to know about these castle ruins, anything to add, edit, compliment or criticise please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
