Twthill Castle: A Norman Motte-and-Bailey Castle in Wales
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.5
- Popularity
- Very Low
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Primary era
- Medieval
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Norman
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page8 sections
History
Twthill Castle is a Norman motte-and-bailey castle near Rhuddlan in the United Kingdom, built in 1073 during the Norman advance into North Wales. Robert of Rhuddlan, a kinsman of Hugh d’Avranches, Earl of Chester, established it on the orders of William the Conqueror to consolidate Norman control. A motte-and-bailey castle combined a raised earthen mound carrying a fortification with an enclosed bailey for buildings and other activities.
Norman foundation and expansion
Robert used Twthill as a base for subduing the Welsh and extending Norman authority across much of North Wales. A borough grew beside the castle. By 1086, it contained eighteen privileged burgesses, as well as a church and a mint. Coins produced at Rhuddlan between 1086 and 1215 survive in museum collections, providing evidence of the settlement’s continuing administrative and economic activity.
Conflict and replacement
Twthill was drawn into the conflict between the English Crown and the Welsh in July 1157. King Henry II of England was marching towards the castle when an army led by the sons of Owain Gwynedd ambushed him at the Battle of Ewloe. The engagement inflicted heavy English losses, killed several prominent nobles, and left Henry himself nearly dead.
The castle remained in use for approximately two centuries. During the late thirteenth-century Conquest of Wales, Edward I ordered the construction of the much larger stone-built Rhuddlan Castle beside the earlier earthwork. Twthill was consequently superseded by its powerful neighbour. The site is traditionally identified with the palace of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, the eleventh-century king who ruled much of Wales, and has also been known historically as Toothill, Tot Hill, and Old Rhuddlan Castle. It is now cared for by Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic-environment service.
Remains
Earthwork setting
Twthill survives chiefly as a large earth-and-timber motte-and-bailey earthwork. The castle stands about 300 yards south of Rhuddlan Castle, at approximately 11 metres above sea level. The landscape is predominantly grassland, with flatter terrain to the north, hills to the south, and the sea to the northwest. Sandy soil has contributed to the deterioration of much of the site.
Motte and bailey
The motte
The motte rises approximately 12 metres above the surrounding ground and reaches a maximum diameter of about 80 metres. This substantial earthen mound formed the principal elevated part of the castle and originally carried its timber fortification.
The bailey
Slight traces of the wall enclosing the bailey survive around the motte. Faint impressions of the bailey can also be seen in the surrounding fields, preserving part of the layout of the enclosed area that accompanied the raised mound.
Nearby sites
