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The comprehensive gazetteer and bibliography of the medieval castles, fortifications and palaces of England, Wales, the Islands.
 
 
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Nant yr Arian Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Old Goginan Castle; Castell Goginan

In the community of Melindwr.
In the historic county of Cardiganshire.
Modern authority of Ceredigion.
Preserved county of Dyfed.

OS Map Grid Reference: SN690817
Latitude 52.41756° Longitude -3.92768°

Nant yr Arian Castle has been described as a probable Timber Castle.

There are no visible remains.
Description

There is a tradition that a medieval castle may have existed in the Nantyrarian area. The site may be that of an Iron Age promontory fort PRN2026, to which an apparent barbican has been added. This may be a site alluded to in this district in 1216. (Dyfed Archaeological Trust HER)

Nant yr Arian. This castle is only mentioned once–in 1216–and only in one text of the Brut. There is a farmstead of that name in Melindwr parish, SN715814, whose position–in the bottom of a deep and narrow valley–is useless for defence. Two castellau are marked in the vicinity of these, that at Cwmbrwyno, SN708809, is a natural crag, while that at Goginan-fach, SN693818, is of large area with no very strong defences. (King, 1956) - However in 1963 King and Hogg identified as Old Coginan at SN688818 (but without further detail)

About the year 1840, a similar mound to these had to be removed to make way for extending the ore-dressing floors at the Goginan lead mines, near Aberystwyth. This was done under the superintendence of the late Geo. Fawcett, Esq., the head manager of the extensive mines worked by John Taylor and Sons. Being determined to ascertain whether this was a sepulchral mound or not, he caused two levels to be driven right through it, under his own immediate direction, as now described to me by one of the miners who worked in one of the levels. He says the whole mound was composed entirely of earth, scarcely a stone a pound in weight, and (they) were sadly disappointed at not finding any relics of the supposed dead (Owen)
Comments

Presuambly King became aware of Owen's paper. The description in Owen is certainly consistent with a motte.
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This record last updated before 1 February 2016
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