Castle Nimble, Old Radnor
Has been described as a Certain Timber Castle (Motte), and also as a Certain Masonry Castle
There are earthwork remains
| Name | Castle Nimble, Old Radnor |
| Alternative Names | Knapp; Maes Hyfaidd; Maes Hyvaidd |
| Historic Country | Radnorshire |
| Modern Authority | Powys |
| 1974 Authority | Powys |
| Community | Old Radnor |
A rather oval ditched motte, 26-20m in diameter and 1.6m high, with a summit, c.16m by 12m, stands to the W of a subrectangular bailey, c.30m by 20m, banked and ditched, with a counterscarp to the N. A further enclosure on the S, c.68m NNW-SSE by 20m, partly defined by a c.38m stretch of bank & ditch, leading SSE from the bailey's SE angle, elsewhere apparently by scarps, those on the S being terraced into the natural scarp defining the edge of the floodplain. Possibly a pond/pool. Several of the mottes in the Walton basin are associated with water-features (see Nprn306368, 306365). One conifer appears to have survived from the planting on the motte depicted on OS County series (1889). (Coflein)
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. Castle Nimble is situated on level ground on the bank of a small stream. The motte is c.25m in diameter and 1.6m high, with a summit measuring c.17m north-north-west to east-south-east by c.16m. It is surrounded on its north, west and south sides by a ditch and, on the west and south, a counterscarp bank 0.8m high. To the east of the motte lies a sub-rectangular bailey, measuring c.30m east-west by c.20m internally, defended on the east and south by a bank which stands 0.9m above a ditch 0.6m deep; on the north there is only a ditch with an outer counterscarp bank. (Scheduling Report)
Remfry writes 1, there is no actual evidence to support this being a predecessor of New Radnor and 2, that the motte is a collapsed stone tower.
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 | SO247594 |
| Latitude | 52.2276992797852 |
| Longitude | -3.10304999351501 |
| Eastings | 324780 |
| Northings | 259430 |
