Llys Gwenllian castle (The Gatehouse Record)

Llys Gwenllian castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Llanrhaiadr yn Cinmerch

In the community of Denbigh.
In the historic county of Denbighshire.
Modern authority of Denbighshire.
Preserved county of Clwyd.

OS Map Grid Reference: SJ05646440
Latitude 53.16820° Longitude -3.41310°

Llys Gwenllian castle has been described as a probable Timber Castle.

There are earthwork remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

Description

Motte and bailey castle sited in the fork at the junction of 2 streams. The bailey is sub-rectangular with rounded corners and was perhaps originally 80m sw-ne x 60m nw-se. The motte at the west of the bailey is 6.5m high, 16m in diameter, surrounded by a shallow moat, and thought to have been built in the 13th century.
A moat surrounds the whole mound and bailey. It is almost complete along the nw side and averages 4m wide at the bottom. It has 0.9m high. a slight counterscarp bank. (Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust HER)

A roughly rectangular enclosure, c.75m by 54m, with a possibly ditched, rather polygonal motte, 24-25m in diameter and 6.5m high, at its SW end. The whole is defined by a ditch, with counterscarps on the NW and SW sides, and possible outworks on the NE; c.140m by 90m overall and obscured by farm buildings. Associated with a daughter of Llewelyn ap Iorwerth. (Coflein)

The monument comprises the remains of a motte and bailey castle, a military stronghold built during the medieval period. A motte and bailey castle comprises a large conical or pyramidal mound of soil or stone (the motte) surrounded by, or adjacent to, one or more embanked enclosures (the bailey). Both may be surrounded by wet or dry ditches and could be further strengthened with palisades, revetments, and/or a tower on top of the motte. Llys Gwenllian consists of a roughly rectangular enclosure, c.75m by 54m, with a possibly ditched, rather polygonal motte, 24-25m in diameter and 6.5m high, at its SW end. The whole is defined by a ditch, with counterscarps on the NW and SW sides, and possible outworks on the NE; c.140m by 90m overall and obscured by farm buildings. The site is associated with a daughter of Llewelyn ap Iorwerth. (Scheduling Report)

Comments

Rectangular bailey with low moated mound. Overlooks a steep drop to the Afon Ystrad. Farm buildings have badly mutilated its low motte and rectangular bailey, making the layout hard to observe. Has been suggested as an unlikely precursor to Denbigh.

Sources of information, references and further reading

The CADW scheduled monument record number is DE019.
The National Monument Record (Coflein) number(s) for this site is/are 306646.
The County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) for this site is/are 100600.

Websites (Gatehouse is not responsible for the content of external websites.)
- CastleUK.net
Books
- Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p. 237 (listed)
  Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p. 69
  Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles of North Wales (Malvern) p. 76
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 104
  RCAHMW, 1914, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Denbighshire (HMSO) p. 135-6 no. 483 online copy
Periodical Articles
- Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 112 p. 77-124

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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link.
Minor archaeological investigations, such as watching brief reports, and some other 'grey' literature is most likely to be held by H.E.R.s but is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded here, or elsewhere, but some suggestions can be found here.

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This record last updated 06/07/2016 16:37:51

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