Caer Dommon Mound, Llangamarch

Has been described as a Possible Timber Castle (Motte)

There are no visible remains

NameCaer Dommon Mound, Llangamarch
Alternative NamesCareau; Llangammarch
Historic CountryBrecknockshire
Modern AuthorityPowys
1974 AuthorityPowys
CommunityLlangamarch

Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust record of ? motte reads 'Circular mound 240ft in circumference and 18ft high adjoining the ancient mansion of Caerau (Jones 1809). Site named Cae'r Dommon (RCAHM archive). No mound apparent to Poole 1886; OS 1977; CPAT site visit 1979. Possibly mis-sited by Jones or destroyed since 1809 (Possibly by railway which lies adjacent to site.)'

Near the ancient mansion of Caerau is a circular artificial mount, 240 feet in circumference, and 18 feet high. It is supposed to have been the site of an ancient British or a Roman fortress; but as there are neither any remains of the walls nor of the fosse, it is impossible to ascertain its exact origin. No Roman coins, or other antiquities of that people, have ever been discovered here; but from its situation, it is not unlikely to have been the site of a watch-tower on the Roman road from Carmarthen to the station at Cwm, in the county of Radnor. (Lewis)

Careau is ... deserving of notice, on account of its antiquity and its name. Near the house on the north side is a round artificial mound of earth, about eighty yards in yards in circumference and six in height (Jones)

Gatehouse Comments

Llangamarch was Jones's birthplace and family home so errors in his account seem unlikely. This sound very like a motte with Careau as a successor building to a medieval castle buildings in the bailey. Seemingly no record of the Careau mansion which also seems to have totally disappeared. Jones identification of the location is never clearer than near the Roman road and by the mansion of Careau. On what authority does CPAT give this map reference? Was the site actually nearer the church?

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSN940478
Latitude52.1183204650879
Longitude-3.5495400428772
Eastings294000
Northings247800
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Poole, E., 1886, The illustrated history and biography of Brecknockshire from the earliest times to the present day (Brecon) p. 168 (direct copy of Lewis) online copy
  • Jones, Theophilius, 1909 (Glanusk edn, orginal publushed 1809), A History of the County of Brecknock (Brecknock) Vol. 2 p. 243 online copy
  • Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales (derived from Jones) online copy