Castle Caereinion Motte

Has been described as a Certain Timber Castle (Motte)

There are earthwork remains

NameCastle Caereinion Motte
Alternative NamesTwmpatch Garmon; Twmpath Garmon; Kaer einawn; Gereinawn; Kaer einiawn; Kereinaun
Historic CountryMontgomeryshire
Modern AuthorityPowys
1974 AuthorityPowys
CommunityCastle Caereinion

Grassy mound in corner of the churchyard, standing up to 3m high and roughly 20m across; there is a slight depression to the south marking the probable line of the original ditch. The raised north-east sides of the churchyard may indicate the position of bailey banks. The castle lies at an important watershed between the Sylfaen Brook and the Banwy valley, on the route west from Welshpool. It was built by Madog ap Maredudd of Powys in 1156, and refurbished in 1166 by Owain Gwynedd and the Lord Rhys, after they evicted Madog's nephew Owain Cyfeiliog for swearing allegiance to the English. Owain destroyed the castle shortly afterwards with a Norman force, and nothing further is heard of it. (Helen Burnham)

Twmpath Garmon is a somewhat irregular mound, c.14-16m in diameter and 3.0m high, at the north angle of Castle Caereinion churchyard. It is identified as the motte of a castle recorded in 1156-1167. A series of yew tree-topped mounds in the south part of the churchyard may represent the bailey bank, indicating an enclosed area of c.70m by 60m. It is alternatively a preaching mound, associated with the cult of Garmon (see Nprn's306787 & 306788). (Coflein–J.Wiles 16.10.2002)

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 ReferenceSJ163054
Latitude52.6403007507324
Longitude-3.23780989646912
Eastings316350
Northings305490
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image

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Books

  • Purton, P.F., 2009, A History of the Early Medieval Siege c. 450-1220 (Woodbridge: The Boydell Press) p. 316
  • Butler, L., 2009, 'The Castles of the Princes of Gwynedd' in Willams, D. and Kenyon, J. (eds), The Impact of the Edwardian Castles in Wales (Oxbow) p. 27-36
  • Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p. 245 (listed)
  • Davis, Paul R., 2007, Castles of the Welsh Princes (Y Lolfa) p. 85-6
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Mid Wales (Malvern) p. 37
  • Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p. 152
  • Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p. 56
  • Burnham, H., 1995, A Guide to Ancient and Historic Wales: Clwyd and Powys (Cadw, London)
  • Davis, Paul R., 1988, Castles of the Welsh Princes (Swansea)
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 295
  • Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p. 327
  • Renn, D.F., 1973 (2 edn.), Norman Castles of Britain (London: John Baker) p. 127
  • Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p. 300 online copy
  • RCAHMW, 1911, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Montgomeryshire (HMSO) p. 19 no. 94 (mound rejected as roadworks spoil) online copy
  • Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales online copy (where mistakenly placed at [Pen y Foel > http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/Welshsites/1156.html])

Journals

  • Spurgeon, C.J., 1966, ‘The castles of Montgomeryshire’ Montgomeryshire Collections Vol. 59 p. 11-12 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
  • O'Neil, B.H.St J., 1936, 'The castle of Caereinion' Montgomeryshire Collections Vol. 44 p. 39-44 (plan) online copy
  • D.R.T(homas)., 1902, 'The Castle of Caereinion' Montgomeryshire Collections Vol. 32 p. 223-6 (where mistakenly placed at Pen y Foel) [online copy > http://welshjournals.llgc.org.uk/browse/viewobject/llgc-id:1238717/article/000087928]

Primary Sources

  • Brut y Tywysogion 1156, 1167 (Several transcriptions and translations exist the best being Jones, T., 1952, Brut Y Twysogion (University of Wales, History and Law series 11)–based on the Peniarth MS 20 version. There is a flawed translation Williams ab Ithel, John, 1860, Brut Y Twysogion or The Chronicle of the Princes (Rolls Series) online copy and Owen, Aneurin (ed), 1864, 'Brut y Tywysogion' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 19 supplement p. 132-3 [online copy > http://archive.org/stream/brutytywysogiong00cararich#page/132/mode/2up] )

Other

  • Silvester, R.J., 1992, Montgomeryshire Historic Settlements CPAT report