Pencastell, Llangeler
Has been described as a Possible Timber Castle (Motte)
There are earthwork remains
| Name | Pencastell, Llangeler |
| Alternative Names | Castell Mair; Capel Mair |
| Historic Country | Carmarthenshire |
| Modern Authority | Carmarthenshire |
| 1974 Authority | Dyfed |
| Community | Llangeler |
Thought to be a medieval castle motte, set on a relatively level shelf on north-west facing hillslopes: a steep-sided moated mound, about 36m in diameter & rising 6.1m to a summit area some 24m in diameter, dished up to 1.0m deep: an excavation made in the centre of the summit, 'some years' before 1931, reportedly cut through alternating charcoal & soil layers, one of the upper charcoal layers containing pot sherds &'thin bones'. (Coflein–ref. Jones)
Pencastell Motte is still in a very good state of preservation. Standing up to a height of 6.1 metres, with a partly water filled ditch 1.5m - 2 metres deep.
The motte is densely covered by trees + brambles and has a modern path cut into its south-eastern side, running down to a field immediately SE of the Motte. (Dyfed Archaeological Trust HER)
The monument comprises the remains of a motte and ditch, 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, and surmounted by a tower constructed of timber or stone. The motte measures 18ft high and is surrounded by a moat, two-thirds of which is wet. The top of the outer bank of the moat is 6ft above the bottom of the moat. The diameter of the mound at the top is 60ft, and there is an inner bank around the top of the mound 3ft high above the interior. There is an entrance on south side. (Scheduling Report)
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 | SN402379 |
| Latitude | 52.0168800354004 |
| Longitude | -4.32945013046265 |
| Eastings | 240240 |
| Northings | 237940 |
