Domen Castell, Welshpool

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Domen Gastell; Pola; Pole; Pool; Pol; Powis; Trallwng; Trallung; Trallwm

In the community of Welshpool.
In the historic county of Montgomeryshire (Modern authority of Powys, preserved county of Powys).

Probably the seat of Powys before Powis Castle was built. Domen Castell stands near to the railway station, and may be the site built in 1111 by Cadwgan ap Bleddyn, ruler of Powys. If so, this is probably the castle captured by the Anglo-Normans in c1190, and recaptured shortly afterwards by Gwenwynwyn. When Gryffydd ap Gwenwynwyn plotted against Llywelyn ap Gryffydd from Welshpool in 1274, the site was still a wooden structure; it was destroyed when Llywelyn removed him. The ramparts have been changed greatly, but was probably 60mx46m, and the south side still houses a 5m motte (9m across at the summit).

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 SJ230074

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; 306957

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/wlshpool.html
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_wales/126/welshpoolcastle.htm
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Mid Wales (Malvern) p53
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p152
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p136
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p64
    Davis, Paul R., 1988, Castles of the Welsh Princes (Swansea)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p301 Vol2 p567
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p382
    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) p265
    RCAHMW, 1911, An Inventory of Ancient Monuments in Montgomeryshire (HMSO) p182 No931
• Journal Articles
  • Gibson. A. 1991. ‘Welshpool Motte. Welshpool’. Archaeology in Wales Vol31 p49
    Spurgeon, C.J., 1966, ‘The castles of Montgomeryshire’ Montgomeryshire Collections Vol58 p13-4, 51-4
    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
    Renn, D.F., 1959, 'Mottes: a classification' Antiquity Vol33 p106-12 [listed as precursor to Powis]
    Jones, M.C., Montgomeryshire Collections Vol15 p368
• 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) Vol3 p53