Hundred House; The Mount

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Brynllwyd Mount; Glan Edw

In the community of Glascwm.
In the historic county of Radnorshire (Modern authority of Powys, preserved county of Powys).

An oval motte, c.50m by 42m, and bailey, c.14m by 21m, ditched except where they rest on natural scarps to the SW, with a further ditched and banked enclosure, c.91m by 94m, adjoining on the E. Masonry remnants on motte. The only motte and bailey in Elfael Uwch Mynydd commote. For this reason it is almost certainly the first castle called Colwyn and was the fortress mentioned down to its destruction in 1196. It was probably commenced in 1093 by Ralph Tosny of Clifford and taken by the forces of Madog ab Idnerth around 1135 and then rebuilt by Hugh Mortimer of Wigmore in 1144. It was not mentioned again and must have reverted to Welsh control probably with the defeat of Hugh by his Angevin enemies in the period 1148-53. The castle was rebuilt by the forces of William Braose in 1195 and besieged and finally destroyed by Prince Rhys ap Gruffydd in 1196. King suggests the size of the outer bailey suggests burgus defence but this suggests has not been taken up b any other author.

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle
Timber Castle
Urban Defence.
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 SO11645423

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; 306117

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 334

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/colwyn.html
    http://www.castles99.ukprint.com/Essays/colwyn.html
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Mid Wales (Malvern) p62
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p181
    Remfry, P., 1996, Castles of Radnorshire (Logaston Press) p125-7 [plan]
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol2 p408, 413
    RCAHMW, 1913, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Radnorshire (HMSO) p52
    Davies, Edwin (ed), William, Jonathan, 1905, A General History of the County of Radnor [reprinted from 1858, Archaeologia Cambrensis [ser3] Vol4] p318 [slight]
• 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
    Banks, 1875, Archaeologia Cambrensis [ser4] Vol6 p252