Twthill Castle: A Norman Motte-and-Bailey Fortress in Rhuddlan, Wales

Visitor Information

Google Rating: 4.5

Popularity: Very Low

Google Maps: View on Google Maps

Official Website: cadw.gov.wales

Country: United Kingdom

Civilization: Unclassified

Remains: Military

History

Twthill Castle is located in Rhuddlan, a town in northern Wales, United Kingdom. It was built by the Normans as part of their efforts to establish control in this region during the late 11th century.

The castle’s construction began in 1073 under the direction of Robert of Rhuddlan, a relative of Hugh d’Avranches, Earl of Chester. Acting on orders from William the Conqueror, Robert used Twthill Castle as a military base to assert Norman dominance over the native Welsh populations. From this fortress, he launched campaigns that gradually brought much of North Wales under Norman influence.

Alongside the castle, a fortified settlement developed, housing privileged burgesses who benefited from specific rights and protections. By 1086, this borough included a church and even a mint where coins were produced; some of these coins dating from 1086 to 1215 have survived and are preserved in museums. This highlights the castle’s role not only as a military stronghold but also as an administrative and economic center.

Twthill Castle remained in active use for about two centuries. Later, during the reign of Edward I in the late 13th century, it was replaced by the more substantial stone Rhuddlan Castle built nearby. Local tradition suggests that the site where Twthill stands once held the palace of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, a former king of Wales, indicating the location’s longstanding strategic importance before the Norman invasion.

Remains

Twthill Castle’s surviving features reflect its original design as a motte-and-bailey fortress, a common Norman form consisting of a large earthwork mound (the motte) accompanied by an enclosed courtyard (the bailey). The motte at Twthill rises approximately 12 meters high and extends up to 80 meters in diameter at its widest point. It is the most prominent physical remnant visible today and marks where the original wooden or stone keep would have once stood.

Around the motte, faint traces of the bailey’s enclosing wall can still be discerned within the surrounding fields. These remains outline the layout of the castle’s defensive perimeter, which would have included palisades and other fortifications typical of Norman military architecture of the period. The structure was constructed primarily using earthworks rather than stone, which has affected its endurance over time.

The castle occupies a site roughly 300 yards south of the later Rhuddlan Castle, illustrating a close relationship in location and strategic purpose between the two fortresses. The sandy soils beneath Twthill have contributed to the gradual erosion of its earthworks, making the preservation of the motte particularly important. Access to the ruins is now by a public footpath that crosses farmland, allowing visitors to experience the setting of this early Norman stronghold.