CASTELL TREFILAN
Site Details
- NPRN
- 303879
- Map Reference
- SN55NW
- Grid Reference
- SN5489557101
- Unitary (Local) Authority
- Ceredigion
- Old County
- Cardiganshire
- Community
- Nantcwnlle
- Type of Site
- MOTTE
- Broad Class
- Defence
- Period
- Medieval
Site Description
Castell Trefilan is a strong castle mound that can be associated with a princely house. It is a rather oval flat-topped and moated mound, about 40m north-south by 35m, and 5.4m high. The oval summit, currently 15m north to south by 12m, is shown as about 21m by 18m on OS County series 1st edition (Cardigan. XXV.8 1888), banked about and enclosing an area approximately 12m across. The moat, generally 60m overall diameter, is thought to have originally held water.
Explorations on the motte summit encountered a line of rounded boulders 'like the foundations of a wall' (King 1959, 66). The castle is said (without reference) to have been established in 1233 and may be associated with the 'house' at Trefilan burnt in 1282.
Associated with:
Suggested borough (NPRN 401517).
Source: King in Ceredigion 3 (1959), 50-69;
Griffiths in the Welsh Historical Review 3.2 (1966), 125.
The trees upon this mound have recently been felled (02.10.03).
J.Wiles 08.10.04
