Ancient Monuments

History on the Ground

This site is entirely user-supported. See how you can help.

Womaston Castle Mound

A Scheduled Monument in Old Radnor (Pencraig), Powys

We don't have any photos of this monument yet. Why don't you be the first to send us one?

Upload Photo »

Approximate Location Map
Large Map »

If Google Street View is available, the image is from the best available vantage point looking, if possible, towards the location of the monument. Where it is not available, the satellite view is shown instead.

Coordinates

Latitude: 52.2385 / 52°14'18"N

Longitude: -3.0741 / 3°4'26"W

OS Eastings: 326749

OS Northings: 260574

OS Grid: SO267605

Mapcode National: GBR F3.123X

Mapcode Global: VH771.NZPW

Entry Name: Womaston Castle Mound

Scheduled Date:

Source: Cadw

Source ID: 1954

Cadw Legacy ID: RD118

Schedule Class: Defence

Category: Motte

Period: Medieval

County: Powys

Community: Old Radnor (Pencraig)

Traditional County: Radnorshire

Description

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. At Womaston the castle sits on a south-easterly facing slope on the north side of the valley of the Hindwell Brook. The motte is c.30m in diameter at the base and stands 3.9-4.4m high, with a flattened summit. Around it runs a water-filled moat c.2.4m wide. A detached line of bank c.147m long, which may have been part of the defences of a bailey, runs to its north and east, parallel with the present-day lane. The full extent of any bailey thus defined is however now unclear, though it has been suggested that it may have contained most of the present house and garden. A pool lies a short distance to the south-east of the motte, a relationship which is paralleled elsewhere in the Walton basin area. All the features described above lie within the gardens of the later house, and are likely to have been adapted to suit the ornamental scheme, though the extent of any such alterations is not clear.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of medieval defensive organisation. The well-preserved monument forms an important element within the wider medieval context and the structure itself may be expected to contain archaeological information relating to chronology, building techniques and functional detail.

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

Source: Cadw

Other nearby scheduled monuments

AncientMonuments.uk is an independent online resource and is not associated with any government department. All government data published here is used under licence. Please do not contact AncientMonuments.uk for any queries related to any individual ancient or schedued monument, planning permission related to scheduled monuments or the scheduling process itself.

AncientMonuments.uk is a Good Stuff website.