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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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Castle Nimble, Old Radnor

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as;
Knapp; Maes Hyfaidd; Maes Hyvaidd

In the community of Old Radnor.
In the historic county of Radnorshire.
Modern authority of Powys.
Preserved county of Powys.

OS Map Grid Reference: SO24785943
Latitude 52.22770° Longitude -3.10305°

Castle Nimble, Old Radnor has been described as a certain Timber Castle, and also as a probable Masonry Castle.

There are earthwork remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
Description

A rather oval ditched motte, 26-20m in diameter and 1.6m high, with a summit, c.16m by 12m, stands to the W of a subrectangular bailey, c.30m by 20m, banked and ditched, with a counterscarp to the N. A further enclosure on the S, c.68m NNW-SSE by 20m, partly defined by a c.38m stretch of bank & ditch, leading SSE from the bailey's SE angle, elsewhere apparently by scarps, those on the S being terraced into the natural scarp defining the edge of the floodplain. Possibly a pond/pool. Several of the mottes in the Walton basin are associated with water-features (see Nprn306368, 306365). One conifer appears to have survived from the planting on the motte depicted on OS County series (1889). (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. Castle Nimble is situated on level ground on the bank of a small stream. The motte is c.25m in diameter and 1.6m high, with a summit measuring c.17m north-north-west to east-south-east by c.16m. It is surrounded on its north, west and south sides by a ditch and, on the west and south, a counterscarp bank 0.8m high. To the east of the motte lies a sub-rectangular bailey, measuring c.30m east-west by c.20m internally, defended on the east and south by a bank which stands 0.9m above a ditch 0.6m deep; on the north there is only a ditch with an outer counterscarp bank. (Scheduling Report)

Remfry writes 1, there is no actual evidence to support this being a predecessor of New Radnor and 2, that the motte is a collapsed stone tower.
Comments

Given primary sources may refer to either this site (if early) or Knapp Farm. The location is in the heart of a area of good arable land, something relatively rare in this part of mid Wales so may represent the farmstead of a tenant who owed military service. Some of the earthworks may be water management features, either to defend against potential floods to to make pools.
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 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 07/07/2016 09:55:52
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