Rhyd yr Onen Moat, Llangurig

Has been described as a Certain Timber Castle (Motte)

There are earthwork remains

NameRhyd yr Onen Moat, Llangurig
Alternative NamesRhyd yn Owen
Historic CountryMontgomeryshire
Modern AuthorityPowys
1974 AuthorityPowys
CommunityLlangurig

An earthwork castle occupying a narrow, sloping promontory between two streams, encircled by steeply rising ground. The work consists of a motte, 5.2m-6.0m high, which occupies the whole width of the promontory, with a bailey, defined by scarps and banks and ditches, either side of it, that uphill, to the S, being the larger. The rise of the ground to the S is such that the bailey bank on this side is higher than the motte summit. (Coflein)

Motte is some 5m high with a slightly oval-shaped summit, 17m x 15m, though this may be due to erosion at the edges on the NW and SE sides. The surrounding ditch is continuous. The defences to the southern bailey consist of a well-preserved bank and ditch, about 60m in length, with a 3m wide entrance causeway, 22m from the eastern end of the defences. There is no visible entrance to the northern bailey. The placename suggests that the motte and bailey was located in the vicinity of a ford and may have been guarding it (Cadw 1999)

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 ReferenceSN922821
Latitude52.4269905090332
Longitude-3.5859899520874
Eastings292270
Northings282170
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink
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Books

  • Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p. 246 (listed)
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Mid Wales (Malvern) p. 51
  • Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p. 152
  • Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p. 225
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 298
  • RCAHMW, 1911, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Montgomeryshire (HMSO) p. 104-5 no. 536 online copy

Journals

  • Stephenson, D., 2006, 'Rhyd yr Onen Castle: politics and possession in western Arwystli in the later twelfth century' Montgomeryshire Collections Vol. 94 p. 15-22
  • Spurgeon, C.J., 1966, ‘The castles of Montgomeryshire’ Montgomeryshire Collections Vol. 59 p. 25-6 online copy
  • Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 112 p. 77-124
  • Clark, G.T., 1877, ‘The moated mounds of the Upper Severn’, Montgomeryshire Collections Vol. 10 p. 345-7 online copy
  • Hamer, E., 1869, Montgomeryshire Collections Vol. 2 p. 244-6
  • E.H(amer), 1868, 'Ancient Arwystli' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 23 p. 19-20 online copy
  • Hamer, E., 1868, 'Ancient Arwystli: Its earthworks and other ancient remains' Montgomeryshire Collections Vol. 1 p. 227-8 online copy