Castles / GB / Wales
Mathrafal Castle
Which definitions does it satisfy?
This dataset does not record whether something “is a castle”. It records a verdict against each named definition, with the reasoning that produced it.
| Definition | Verdict | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Fortified residence | yes | A motte and bailey castle — the motte forming the lord's fortified strongpoint and the adjacent bailey a defended enclosure — with an impressive series of rectangular defences set around the motte and further protection from the River Banwy; excavation shows 13th-century refashioning and enlargement of earlier curving defences, an active seigneurial defence. |
| Enclosure fortification | unassessed | No source consulted so far speaks to this definition. Unassessed is not the same as no. |
| State fortification | unassessed | No source consulted so far speaks to this definition. Unassessed is not the same as no. |
| Palatial seat | unassessed | No source consulted so far speaks to this definition. Unassessed is not the same as no. |
| Revival and folly | unassessed | No source consulted so far speaks to this definition. Unassessed is not the same as no. |
| Popularly a castle | unassessed | No source consulted so far speaks to this definition. Unassessed is not the same as no. |
Facts
| Tradition | european medieval |
|---|---|
| Location | Llangyniew, Powys, Wales, GB |
| Built | Medieval |
| Confidence | medium |
| First recorded | 2026-07-21 |
| Last updated | 2026-07-22 |
In the registers
Where this structure appears in official inventories. This is what turns an individual record into evidence about a count.
- Cof Cymru — National Historic Assets of Wales —
MG044· Scheduled Monument — SiteType: Castle · entry
Location
Approximate. © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Notes
Bands assessed against Cadw's full scheduled-monument report (MG044). fortified_residence upgraded from register-derived to assessed — a motte and bailey is a fortified lordly seat by type (the band explicitly includes motte-and-bailey), and the report describes the motte, encircling rectangular defences and riverine protection with 13th-century refashioning. The site-specific description is fairly brief, and no lord or residential building is named, so confidence is held at medium. Other bands omitted.
Sources
- Cof Cymru - National Historic Assets of Wales — Cadw, 2026-07-21
Cadw full scheduled-monument report (MG044); sole source, used for band assessment.
Signals
Raw per-source observations behind this record (2):
sig-20260721-cadw-mg044,
sig-20260722-report-mg044
Record file · dataset licensed CC BY 4.0 — see provenance.