Description

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. Castell Gwar-cwm, also known as Castell Ystrad Peithyll and Rhosgoch Motte, is a steep-sided mound c.20m in diameter and c.3.6m high, carved from the west end of a spur above a stream confluence in a valley bottom, the Ystrad Peithyll. The level summit is c.10m across, but has been damaged by an old trench up to 2m deep running in from the north. The mound is surrounded by a deep flat-bottomed ditch, rock-cut in places, c.5m across the base and with a counterscarp bank outside it standing up to c.4m above the base. The ditch and counterscarp are absent on the north, where the site is bounded by a stream. There may have been a very small bailey to the west of the motte, where slight terraces suggest the presence of buildings. The castle would have been built in the years following 1110. In 1113 it was the seat of Razo or Razon the steward, and was reported to have been taken and destroyed by the Welsh. It has no further recorded history.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of medieval defensive practices. The monument is well-preserved and an important relic of the medieval landscape. It retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of both structural evidence and intact associated deposits.

The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.

Source: Cadw