Tomen Rhydowen

Tomen Rhydowen is a medieval earthwork mound in Llandysul, Ceredigion. It stands without the usual surrounding defensive wall called a bailey. Most mounds like this in Wales were built between the late 11th and the second half of the 12th century from earth and stone, often surrounded by a ditch. The Normans introduced this type of fortification to Britain from France, and the Welsh adopted the technology. Cadw, the historic environment service of Wales, has listed the site under number CD076. The largest cluster of such mounds in Britain is found in the Welsh Marches, including areas now known as Shropshire, Cheshire, Herefordshire, Powys and Flintshire. Visitors find a simple grassy mound rising from flat ground near the River Teifi. The site is quiet, with no modern structures nearby. It offers a clear view of the surrounding countryside. The mound itself shows the earth and stone construction typical of its time. The ditch that once surrounded it is still faintly visible. The setting is rural, with farmland and woodland nearby.