Twtil, Castle Motte

Medieval mound where a long-lost castle once stood

This massive earthen motte (or mound) marks the site of Rhuddlan’s first castle. Built in 1073 by Robert of Rhuddlan above the River Clwyd, the mound would have been topped with timber fortifications, though it is possible that a stone structure was erected at a later date.

The castle moved between Welsh and English hands several times during the troubled 11th and 12th centuries, until it was replaced by Castell Rhuddlan – built just a short distance away by King Edward I in 1277.