Twthill, Old Rhuddlan Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Toothill; Tut Hill; Bonc Hill; Roelent; Roeland

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

Motte and bailey built by Robert of Rhuddlan, recorded in 1086, and traditionally occupying the site of a palace of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn. Castle established 1073, repairs recorded 1241-2, superceded by Rhuddlan Castle from 1277. The castle is set on a natural spur above the Clwyd. The motte is c.75-80m in diameter, 5.0-12m high with a summit diameter of 11m by 8.0m. The bailey on the N is c.36m by 56m, defined by scarps on the N and NW. The whole work is thought to be much degraded owing to its sandy compsition, observations of mortar suggest the presence of masonry structures.

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle
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 SJ02637767

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; 157156

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 102027

• Web site links
  • http://www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=6&PlaceID=137
    http://www.castlewales.com/twthill.html
    http://www.castlewales.com/rhudln.html
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_wales/116/twthill.htm
• Books
  • Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p76
    Salter, Mike, 1997, The Castles of North Wales (Malvern) p81
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p126
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p241
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p154
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p377
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p257-9
    RCAHMW, 1912, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Flintshire (HMSO) p79-80
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol3 (London) p413-4
• Journal Articles
  • Harfield, C.G., 1991, 'A Hand-list of Castles Recorded in the Domesday Book' English Historical Review Vol106 p 371-92
    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
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press)] pp90-121
• Guidebooks
  • Taylor, A.J., 1987 (4th rev edn), Rhuddlan Castle (CADW)