Tomen y Rhodwydd, Llandegla

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Castell y Rhodwydd; Buddugre; Llanarmon yn Ial; Yale; Castle in Ial; Castell yr Adwy

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

Motte, 20m across the top, is surrounded on the north and west by a dramatic ditch and outer bank. It stands 7.8m above base of the ditch and 4.9m above the bailey to its south-east, with only a slight hollow between the two. The bailey measures about 40m across internally; no visible traces of buildings remain. Its undulating bank stands about 1-1.5m above the interior, and 4-5m above the base of the ditch, which joins the motte ditch on the south and surrounds the bailey except for a causeway at the northernmost corner beside the motte. An outer bank, possibly built of spoil from the ditches, survives on the south, although the site has been damaged by the road on this side. Built in 1149 by Owain Gwynedd. The castle was taken in 1157 by Iorwerth Goch ap Maredudd of Powys and burnt, although like Tomen y Faerdre, it was restored and ditched by the English forces during King John's 1212 campaign.

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 SJ17695161

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; 94737

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 100932

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/tomen.html
• Books
  • Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p69
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles of North Wales (Malvern) p86
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p216-7
    Davis, Paul R., 1988, Castles of the Welsh Princes (Swansea)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p104
    Avent, Richard, 1983, Castles of the Princes of Gwynedd (Cardiff)
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Lowe, W.Bezant, 1927, The Heart of North Wales (Llanfairfechan) Vol2 p227
    RCAHMW, 1914, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Denbighshire (HMSO) p83 no265
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p271-2, 300, 388-9
• Journal Articles
  • Pratt. D., 1978. ‘Tomen y Rhodwydd’ Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol127 p130-2
    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
    1960, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol109 p197-8
    Lloyd, 1935, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol90 p322-3
    Davies, 1931-3, Llandudno Field Club Vol17 p23
    1926, Journal of the British Archaeological Association [new ser] Vol32 p78-9
    Lloyd, 1921, Archaeologia Cambrensis [ser7] Vol1 p342-3
    Pennant. T., 1851. ‘Tomen y Rhodwydd’ Archaeologia Cambrensis 57-