Cwm Camlais Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Camlais; Bleancamlais; Maescar; Defynoch; Defynock; Dyfynoch; 'new castle beyond Brecon'

In the community of Trallong.
In the historic county of Brecknockshire (Modern authority of Powys, preserved county of Powys).

Cwm Camlais, also known at times as Camlais, Maescar, Blaencamlais, or Defynoch Castle. Very little of its structure now remains, but enough to show that its rocky motte supported a round tower, 7.0m in diameter internally, with walls c.3.3m thick, and that the only outer defence was a counterscarp bank. Apart from a reference that it was destroyed in 1265 (and apparently never repaired), the history of Cwm Camlais is uncertain. Another record is of a "new castle beyond Brecon" built by Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales, and this quite likely refers to Cwm Camlais Castle. The castle may have been a hunting lodge in the forest of Brecon.

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

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SN95592607

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; 305059

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 581

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/camlais.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Mid Wales (Malvern) p17
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p11
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p72
    Remfry, Paul, 1998. Castles of Breconshire (Logaston Press) p107-8 [plan]
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p211
    Davis, Paul R., 1988, Castles of the Welsh Princes (Swansea)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p17
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p334
• Journal Articles
  • King, D.J.C., 1984-5. ‘Camlais and Sennybridge castles’. Brycheiniog Vol20 p9-11
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol116 p71-132
    King, D.J.C., 1965, Brycheiniog Vol11 p151-3
    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
    King, D.J.C., 1961, ‘The castles of Breconshire’ Brycheiniog Vol7 p83
    Renn, D.F., 1961, 'The round keeps of the Brecon region' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol110 p139