Twtil, Castle Motte

Twthill is a Norman motte-and-bailey castle near Rhuddlan in Denbighshire, North Wales. Built in the late 11th century during the Norman invasion, it was one of the first castles in the region. Robert of Rhuddlan, a kinsman of the Earl of Chester, erected the castle on the orders of William the Conqueror. The site once included a borough with eighteen burgesses, a church and a mint producing coins until 1215. A palace once stood on the same spot, belonging to Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, king of Wales. The castle played a key role in Norman efforts to control North Wales. In 1157, King Henry II narrowly escaped death when his army was ambushed near Ewloe by forces led by Owain Gwynedd’s sons. The fighting caused heavy losses and nearly killed the king. The motte-and-bailey design served for two centuries until Edward I built Rhuddlan Castle nearby in the late 13th century. Today, Twthill consists mainly of a large earthen mound about twelve metres high and eighty metres across. Light traces of the bailey walls can still be seen in the surrounding fields. The site is managed by Cadw and lies about three hundred yards south of Rhuddlan Castle. A public footpath leads across farmland to the motte, offering a quiet view of the historic landscape.