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. Mount Cop Castle Mound consists of a large turf-covered mound with an encircling ditch. The base of mound measures 48m W-E and 49.5m N-S. The ditch bottom is between 3.8-4.5m below the top of the mound. The ditch has a counterscarp bank which is particularly prominent on the W and N sides and up to 2m above the ditch bottom. It is not visible on the E side. Indications of terraces east of the mound may be the results of quarrying, or are perhaps the remains of the bailey, truncated by the road.

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