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Cottrell Motte

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Cottrell Park Motte

In the community of St Nicholas And Bonvilston.
In the historic county of Glamorgan.
Modern authority of Vale of Glamorgan.
Preserved county of South Glamorgan.

OS Map Grid Reference: ST08097450
Latitude 51.46204° Longitude -3.32439°

Cottrell Motte has been described as a probable Timber Castle, and also as a Siege Work although is doubtful that it was such.

There are earthwork remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
Description

A flat-topped circular mound, 20m in diameter and 1.8m high, with traces of an encircling ditch, possibly counterscarped. An episode of levelling and planting is recorded in 1862. (Coflein)

A motte 22m in diameter at the top, 35m in diameter at the base with a height of 1-2m. The outer ditch, with a marked counterscarp bank was probably originally a ringwork, the centre having been infilled. There is a slight indication that there may have been a bailey to the east. The relationship of this site to the more massive earthworks at Y gaer to the NE is uncertain. (Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust HER)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. Cottrell consists of a flat-topped mound 35m in diameter with the top measuring 21m in diameter. The sides are of varying height and steepness; on the west the side is 2.5m high with no ditch. On the north side it is 2m high with a 5m wide berm and then a further drop of 1.5m. The east side is less well defined, with a 2.2m height, then a 4m wide berm and a further 1m drop - this side is steep. The south side is less steep and measures 1.5m high with a ditch 1.5m wide by 1m deep outside it. (Scheduling Report)
Comments

Commanding mound rising 1.7m to a summit 20-21m in diameter (although summit was levelled in C19). Now in a golf course so any understanding of the medieval terrain will be lost beneath the earthworks dedicated to the most egotistical and damaging pastime known to landscape archaeology (dissolute youths and metal detectorists don't take bulldozers to archaeological remains)
Links to archaeological and architectural databases, mapping and other online resources

Data >
Coflein   County HER   Scheduling        
Maps >
Streetmap   NLS maps   Where's the path   Old-Maps      
Data/Maps > 
Magic   Historic Wales   V. O. B.   Geology   LIDAR  
Air Photos > 
Bing Maps   Google Maps   Getmapping   ZoomEarth      
Photos >
CastleFacts   Geograph   Flickr   Panoramio      

Sources of information, references and further reading
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The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Wales, the four welsh archaeological trusts and other individuals and organisations. It may also contain Designated Historic Asset Descriptive Information from The Welsh Historic Environment Service (Cadw), licensed under the Open Government Licence. All the sources given should be consulted to identify the original copyright holder and permission obtained from them before use of the information on this site for commercial purposes.
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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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Locations derived from OS grid references and from latitude longitiude may differ by a small distance.
Further information on mapping and location can be seen at this link.
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This record last updated 06/07/2016 17:16
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