Sycharth Castle, Llansilin

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Castle of Owain Glyndwr; Saghern

In the community of Llansilin.
In the historic county of Denbighshire (Modern authority of Powys, preserved county of Clwyd).

Ditched motte is c.50m in diameter and has a summit, c.26m in diameter, crescentic bailey on the SW is c.32m deep and 64m across. The whole appears to have been counterscarped, or rather countersunk into the hillock upon which it is set, the cumulative height of the works about the motte being 10.6m. Contours now disguised by a number of trees and other vegetation. Manor held by Owain Glyndwr and destroyed in 1403. Excavations 1962-3 uncovered traces of stone-cill walled buildings upon the motte. Excavations showed the castle still in use in C14 but was never given masonry defences and this was the caput of Glyndwr estate before his rebellion.

This site has been described as a;
Timber Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Earthworks remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SJ20522586

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

National Monuments Record number; 306999

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 101074

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/sycharth.html
• Books
  • Emery, Anthony, 2000, Greater Medieval Houses Vol2 (Cambridge) p621
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p68
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles of North Wales (Malvern) p84
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p300-3
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p104
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p381
    RCAHMW, 1914, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Denbighshire (HMSO) p154
• Journal Articles
  • Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    Hague, D.B., and Warhurst, C., 1966. ‘Excavations at Sycharth Castle. Denbighshire 1962-3’. Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol115 p108-27
    Hague, D.B., and Warhurst, C., 1964. ‘Sycharth Castle’. Medieval Archaeology p261-2
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol112 p77-124
    Richards, R., 1948, Montgomeryshire Collections Vol1 p183-8
    Hemp, 1923, Archaeologia Cambrensis [ser7] Vol3 p396-8