Stephens Castle, The College, Lampeter
Has been described as a Certain Timber Castle (Motte)
There are earthwork remains
| Name | Stephens Castle, The College, Lampeter |
| Alternative Names | Llan Ystyffan; Castell Pont Steffan; Castell Pont Stuffan; Castle of Mabwynion; Llanbedr; Pont Stephen |
| Historic Country | Cardiganshire |
| Modern Authority | Ceredigion |
| 1974 Authority | Dyfed |
| Community | Lampeter |
Stephen's Castle is a large motte, 8.0m high, about 30m overall diameter. OS preliminary sketches (1819?) appear to show the castle earthworks prior to the building of the college, with a small work north-west of the motte and two successive subrectangular enclosures to the south. The retaining wall east and south-east of the Old College buildings may preserve something of this layout. Later incorporated in college landscaping (Nprn302080) and truncated by building. (Coflein)
Motte approximately 10m in height. Motte damaged through development on south and west side. Eastern edge has stone revettment. (Dyfed Archaeological Trust HER)
The monument comprises the remains of a motte, 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, though there is little trace of one here, and surmounted by a tower constructed of timber or stone. Lampeter Castle Mound, also known as Stephen’s Castle, occupies a rise at the edge of the floodplain of the Afon Dulais, not far from a route focus around a crossing of the Teifi. It is a large motte c.30m in overall diameter and c.7.0m high. As seen today, it has been truncated by the construction of the adjacent college building and by the landscaping of the college grounds; at one point it was provided with ornamental paths as part of this. OS sketches of c.1819 appear to show a small work north-west of the motte and two successive sub-rectangular enclosures to the south, though it is not clear whether these are part of the original motte complex or components of an earlier formal garden layout. (Scheduling Report)
Built in the Norman expansion into Wales in the late 1080's, Lampeter is on one of the main trade routes through to the North of Wales and so the Market town of Lampeter emerges over time. The Castle is razed in the 1130's by a Welsh raid and is never rebuilt
appox 100 feet wide at the bottom and 20-25 feet at the top. The lost bailey has been suggestioned to orientate towards the local church, St.Peters. (Darren Winter–castlewales.com/lampeter.html)
This site is a scheduled monument protected by law
Not Listed
The National Monument Record (Coflein) number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
| OS Map Grid Reference | SN579482 |
| Latitude | 52.114429473877 |
| Longitude | -4.07605981826782 |
| Eastings | 257930 |
| Northings | 248270 |
