Ystradowen Motte

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Druids Grove

In the community of Penllyn.
In the historic county of Glamorgan (Modern authority of Vale of Glamorgan, preserved county of South Glamorgan).

Medium-sized motte just west of the church with a quarry hole in the middle. There is a ditch on the north and south sides, stopping abruptly at the west end, suggesting that the castle was unfinished. The masonry castle of Tal y Fan is 1km to the east. However, it is suggested that the abortive motte was the intended caput of a Norman lordship of 'Charlton' rather than a precussor site to Tal y Fan (RCAHMW, 1991, p77)

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 ST01077765

Sources of information, references and further reading

Web site links

http://www.castlewales.com/ystradwn.html

Books

Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p111
RCAHMW, 1991, An Inventory of the Ancient Monuments in Glamorgan Vol3 pt1a: The Early Castles (London: HMSO) MO12 p75-7
Salter, Mike, 1991, The Castles of Gwent, Glamorgan and Gower (Malvern) p75 [slight]
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p171
Davis, Paul R., 1983, Castles of Glamorgan (Alun Books)
Hague, D.B., 1971, in Pugh, T.B. (ed), Glamorgan County History Vol3 The Middle Ages (Cardiff) p448
Randall, Henry John, 1961, The Vale of Glamorgan, Studies in Landscape and History (Newport: R.H.Johns Ltd) p77
Morien, 1903, History of Pontypridd and Rhondda Valleys (Pontypridd) p29

Journal Articles

King, D.J.C., 1983, ‘Ystradowen motte’, 130th annual meeting, Vale of Glamorgan, 1983: programme, CAA, p21
Spurgeon, C.J. and Thomas, H.J.,1980, 'Castle mound, Ystradowen', Archaeology in Wales Vol20 p73-5
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

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant

The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Wales, the four welsh archaeological trusts and other indivduals and organisations.

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