Banc y Betws

Banc y Betws, also known as Betws Castle, stands in Llangyndeyrn within the Gwendraith Valley in Carmarthenshire. It is a motte-and-bailey castle, a type introduced by the Normans from France during the 11th and 12th centuries. These castles were built quickly from soil and stone, often surrounded by a ditch and topped with a wooden or stone keep. Wales has the greatest number of such castles, with large clusters in the Welsh Marches. The site’s history remains unknown, as no records or excavations have taken place. The mound at Banc y Betws measures roughly 40 metres by 35 metres and rises about 9 metres high. Its top is concave, with the centre slightly lower than the rim. A dry ditch, about 5 metres wide and 2 metres deep, once surrounded the site except on the north side, where it has been filled in. The eastern face of the mound was damaged by quarrying in the mid-20th century. The motte is now covered in large trees, and part of the ditch has been absorbed into an adjoining field. The castle is registered with Cadw, the Welsh historic environment service, under the number CM124. The site has not been archaeologically excavated, and no recorded history exists for it. Despite its ruined state, the remains of the ditch and the tree-capped mound still mark the location of this ancient fortress in the quiet Gwendraith Valley.