Crogen Motte, Llandderfel (The Gatehouse Record)

Crogen Motte, Llandderfel

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Croegen; Cregan

In the community of Llandderfel.
In the historic county of Merioneth.
Modern authority of Gwynedd.
Preserved county of Gwynedd.

OS Map Grid Reference: SJ00593700
Latitude 52.92123° Longitude -3.48012°

Crogen Motte, Llandderfel has been described as a probable Timber Castle.

There are earthwork remains.

Description

A mound thought to represent a castle mentioned in 1202. It is associated with a late medieval house (NPRN 28312) and is set within a seventeenth century park (NPRN 265134). The mount and house occupy the tip of a promontory jutting out across the floodplain of the Dee. It came to be landscaped and is depicted as part of the shrubberies around the house on the OS County series 1st edition (Merioneth. XV.14 1887). This is a steep-sided oval mound, about 35m by 46m and 7.0m high, with a roughly level summit 9.0m across. There is no trace of a ditch. The summit is strewn with stone, thought to be the debris of a fallen building. This could represent a castle tower, although it could have been a garden feature, a prospect tower, or a banqueting or summer house. The houses lies on the east side of the mound. Its south-eastern part is believed to be a medieval solar or parlour crosswing to a vanished hall and is dated to the later fourteenth-early fifteenth century. The house was remodelled in the late sixteenth-early seventeenth century and again in the early nineteenth century. It is possible that the castle was established in 1202, when the commote of Penllyn was divided. It is one of several castle mounds in Merioneth that are associated with apparently unfortified houses, for example Castell Prysor (NPRN 308964) and Rug (NPRN 306598). It is tempting to speculate that the park had medieval origins. (Coflein–John Wiles 10.07.07)

Sources of information, references and further reading

The National Monument Record (Coflein) number(s) for this site is/are 306558.
The County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number(s) for this site is/are 3272.

Books
- Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p. 241 (listed)
  King, D.J.C. with Kenyon, J.R., 2001, 'The Castles: a Study in Military Architecture' in Smith J.B. and Smith L.B. (eds), History of Merioneth Vol. 2 p. 410-11
  King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 277
  Renn, D.F., 1973 (2 edn.), Norman Castles of Britain (London: John Baker) p. 161
  RCAHMW, 1921, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Merionethshire (HMSO) p. 67-8 no. 176 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
Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete, particularly for the major royal castles and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
- Brut y Tywysogion 1202 (Several transcriptions and translations exist the best being Jones, T., 1952, Brut Y Twysogion (University of Wales, History and Law series 11)–based on the Peniarth MS 20 version. There is a flawed translation Williams ab Ithel, John, 1860, Brut Y Twysogion or The Chronicle of the Princes (Rolls Series) online copy)

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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 before 1 February 2016

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