Hay Tump

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Hay-on-Wye Motte; Gelli; Tregelli; Swan Hotel; castello de haia La Haie Taillee

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

A mound close to Hay parish church, 38m in diameter and 4.7m high, having a summit diameter of 21m. Summit disturbed for civil defence - WWII., Usually suggested as precussor to Hay Castle, but Remfry writes may have been a separate castle occupied simultaniously with Hay Castle; He writes "The manor of Melinog, a part of Hay fee mentioned 1115... remained independent of the main Hay castle throughout the medieval period and the same may be true of this motte." Possibly the site of the 'castello de haia' which is mentioned in 1121, although Remfry says this is Hay Castle. It was probably built by William Revel, one of Bernard de Newmarch's knights.

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 SO22654219

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; 306312

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 439

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/haymotte.html
    http://history.powys.org.uk/history/hay/castle1.html
    http://www.castles99.ukprint.com/Essays/hay.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Mid Wales (Malvern) p27
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p13
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p91
    Remfry, Paul, 1998. Castles of Breconshire (Logaston Press) p117
    Remfry, Paul, 1995, Hay on Wye Castle, 1066 to 1298 (Worcester: SCS)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p18
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p358
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Armitage, Ella S., 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London) p291
    
• Journal Articles
  • 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 p88
    Renn, D.F., 1959, 'Mottes: a classification' Antiquity Vol33 p106-12 [listed as seigework]
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1910, The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535-1543 (Bell and Sons; London) Vol5 p74