Tomen yr Allt

Tomen yr Allt is a medieval motte-and-bailey castle near Llanfyllin in Powys, Wales. Its name means ‘mound on the wooded hillside’ in modern Welsh. The site sits on a man-made mound about ten metres high, surrounded by a stony ditch. A second ditch runs on the north-east side, where the natural slope is less steep. The earthworks remain largely intact, though no stone keep survives. Archaeologists found burnt daub in 1978, suggesting the original tower was timber. The castle once served as the administrative centre for the commote of Mechain Uwch Coed. In 1160, after Powys was divided, the area passed to Powys Wenwynwyn. By 1208 Llywelyn the Great controlled the region. After his death in 1241, Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn ruled under English influence. Llywelyn ap Gruffudd besieged the castle in 1257, forcing local lords to submit. From the top of the mound there are wide views over the surrounding countryside. Bodfach Hall lies about a kilometre to the south-east, set within the wooded Coed yr Allt. The hall’s estate once included the castle site, and its original building may have replaced the fortress. Today the earthworks and wooded slopes form a quiet green space close to Llanfyllin.