Pen y Castell, Kerry

Has been described as a Questionable Timber Castle (Other/Unknown)

There are earthwork remains

NamePen y Castell, Kerry
Alternative NamesHuberts Folly; Stultita Huberti; Pen Castle; Penycastell
Historic CountryMontgomeryshire
Modern AuthorityPowys
1974 AuthorityPowys
CommunityKerry

A quadrant of double scarps, c.18m apart, define an enclosure, c.68m by 76m, otherwise resting in an angle of steep natural slopes. (Coflein as Iron Age defended enclosure)

Multivallate sub triangular spur end enclosure. some 120m across. inner enclosure abutts N facing scarp crest of E-W spur with second (and poss third-Hughes, I.T., 1928) rampart to W. whole damaged by small quarries. (Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust HER)

Gatehouse Comments

Until the 1960s this was the suggested site for Hubert's Folly, mentioned as a new castle in 1228, but this was established as Old Hall Camp, whilst Pen y castle is probably an eroded bivallate hill-fort.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

Not Listed

The National Monument Record (Coflein) number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSO134875
Latitude52.4785385131836
Longitude-3.27645993232727
Eastings313450
Northings287540
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Spurgeon, C.J., 2003, 'Hubert's Folly: the abortive castle of the Kerry campaign, 1228' in Kenyon, J.R. and O'Conor, K. (eds), The medieval castle in Ireland and Wales: essays in honour of Jeremy Knight (Dublin: Four Courts Press) p. 107-120 (rejection as castle site)
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 301
  • RCAHMW, 1911, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Montgomeryshire (HMSO) p. 60 no. 296 online copy

Journals

  • Spurgeon, C.J., 1972, 'Enclosures of Iron Age type in the upper Servern baisn' in F. Lynch and C. Burgess (eds), Prehistoric man in Wales and the west: essays in honour of Lily F. Chitty (Bath) p. 331, 335
  • Spurgeon, C.J., 1966, ‘The castles of Montgomeryshire’ Montgomeryshire Collections Vol. 59 p. 44, 57 online copy
  • Renn, D.F., 1959, 'Mottes: a classification' Antiquity Vol. 33 p. 106-12
  • Hughes, I.T., 1923, 'The hill camps of Montgomeryshire east of the Severn"' Montgomeryshire Collections Vol. 40 p. 85-108 online copy
  • Williams, R., 1879, 'Henry III in Montgomeryshire' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 34 p. 241-51 online copy
  • Williams, R., Montgomeryshire Collections Vol. 15 p. 87-90