Castell Aberlleiniog
Has been described as a Certain Timber Castle (Motte), and also as a Certain Uncertain
There are earthwork remains
| Name | Castell Aberlleiniog |
| Alternative Names | Castell Llienawg; Aberllienawg; Castle in Anglesey; Castell Leiniog |
| Historic Country | Anglesey |
| Modern Authority | Anglesey |
| 1974 Authority | Gwynedd |
| Community | Llangoed |
Castell Aberlleiniog is a medieval castle mound which has the ruins of a mid seventeenth century fort set upon its summit. The castle was traditionally built by Hugh, Earl of Chester in 1088-90. It has no recorded history following its destruction soon after until Thomas Cheadle, Constable of Beaumaris, built the fort during the disturbances of the mid seventeenth century. This is a steep sided generally circular mound, roughly 50m across and 5.4m high. The ditch is about 16m wide and 1.2m deep. The level summit is now roughly 25-27m square following the later building. Traces of a bailey have been identified on the south side above the Afon-y-Brenhin valley, where two small mounds, 40m apart, are thought to be the remains of its ramparts. The earthworks would have been modified to some degree when the fort was built. The fort is a square structure with its corners oriented on the cardinal points. It is 18-19m across overall with broad ramparts, 2.5-5.0m wide, fronted by a narrow wall rising to a parapet roughly 2.5m high. At each corner was a round tower about 4.0m in diameter, each equipped with three small rectangular openings. The enclosure walls all have three evenly spaced buttresses, except for the south-east face, where the main entrance is located. There is a small doorway in the north-west wall. A much smaller castle mound stands at the mouth of the Lleiniog some 500m to the east (NPRN 302828). Source: RCAHM Anglesey Inventory (1938), 123-4 The site is now scheduled for restoration with the aid of a Heritage Lottery Fund grant - Western Mail 2007. (Coflein–John Wiles 13.07.07)
The castle is attributed to Hugh (Lupus) of Avranches, Earl of Chester, and thought to have been raised in 1088-90. Surmounting the mound is a late Medieval stone structure, originally with circular tower on all of its 4 corners, now only 3 remain. Also known as Lady Cheadles Castle, the structure was thought to have been used during the Civil War
The battlements have probably been restored; the W corner bastion has a serious crack, and part may fall shortly. The site is overgrown with tall trees and vegetation.
C11 mound rising to a square platform, c50m² with retaining walls of rubble masonry with round corner bastions (only 3 of which now remain). Each bastion had 3 rectangular loops with splayed reveals. On the NW side is a projecting garde-robe formed by rough corbels supporting a stone slab. Each side wall of battlements has 3 buttresses which are additions to the original structure, but may be replacements of earlier ones.
Listed as a substantially intact late medieval fortification which surmounts an earlier mound. (Listed Building Report)
This site is a scheduled monument protected by law
This is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law
Historic Wales CADW listed database record number
The National Monument Record (Coflein) number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
| OS Map Grid Reference | SH616793 |
| Latitude | 53.2925910949707 |
| Longitude | -4.07721996307373 |
| Eastings | 261630 |
| Northings | 379300 |
