Castell Cwm Aran

Castell Cwm Aron stands in the valley of the River Ithon, between the Wye and the Severn in what is now Radnorshire. Built by Ranulph de Mortimer in the late 11th century, it is a motte-and-bailey castle raised on earthworks. A modern farmhouse now covers much of the site, but traces of its past remain. The castle saw fierce fighting between the Mortimer family and Welsh princes, especially Llywelyn the Great. Welsh armies besieged it several times, most fatally in 1215 when Llywelyn captured it after taking Shrewsbury. Siege engines left their marks nearby, and the area is now a conservation zone. Visitors find two small mounds south of the castle on a low hilltop, one 80 metres away and the other 130 metres. From the air they appear clearly, standing within cannon-shot of the main earthworks. The farmland around preserves the feel of the old border country where marcher lords and Welsh rulers once struggled.