id: sig-20260722-report-cd005
site_id: gb-geneu-r-glyn-gwallter
attribute: designation_report
value: 'Reference Number

  CD005

  Name

  Castell Gwallter

  Date of Designation

  Status

  Designated

  Unitary Authority

  Ceredigion

  Community

  Geneu''r Glyn

  Easting

  262201

  Northing

  286781

  Broad Class

  Defence

  Site Type

  Castle

  Period

  Medieval

  The monument comprises the remains of a motte and bailey castle, a military stronghold built
  during the medieval period. A motte and bailey castle comprises a large conical or pyramidal
  mound of soil or stone (the motte) surrounded by, or adjacent to, one or more embanked enclosures
  (the bailey). Both may be surrounded by wet or dry ditches and could be further strengthened
  with palisades, revetments, and/or a tower on top of the motte. The motte at Castell Gwallter
  is a circular flat-topped mound with fine views particularly to the east, 32-33m in diameter
  and about 4.5m high, surrounded by a U-shaped ditch 8m wide with a counterscarp bank outside
  that, standing 4-5m above the ditch bottom and c.1m above the surrounding ground surface.
  The motte would have been crowned by a great timber tower, with a strong breastwork on the
  counterscarp. A small bailey or court, c.38m north-south by 28m, defined by a bank up to
  c.1.5m high with traces of an external ditch, lies on the north side, and would have been
  the site of the lordly hall and associated offices. There are indications of a much larger
  court on the east side of the motte. This is roughly rectangular with rounded corners, roughly
  80-100m east-west by 126-135m, and is defined largely by scarps. Such a large enclosure
  would suit the dignity of the main castle of a lordship and would have accommodated assemblies
  of lesser lords. The castle was established by the Anglo-Normans in about 1110 and was the
  centre for the lordship of Geneu’r-glyn commote. It was destroyed in 1135 and is last heard
  of in 1153. It may have been replaced by Domen Las, the castle of Abereinion (SAM CD100).
  The castle lies some 50m south-west of St Michael’s Church and the two may have been contemporary.

  The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of medieval
  defensive organisation. The well-preserved monument forms an important element within the
  wider medieval context and the structure itself may be expected to contain archaeological
  information relating to chronology, building techniques and functional detail.

  The scheduled area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related
  evidence may be expected to survive.'
source_url: http://cadwpublic-api.azurewebsites.net/reports/sam/FullReport?lang=en&id=1826
source_title: Scheduled Monument Full Report — Castell Gwallter
publisher: Cadw
observed_date: '2026-07-22'
collected_by: scripts/build_assessment_batch.py
confidence: high
notes: The designation text. Assess the six bands against THIS evidence only; omit any band
  it does not speak to.