Barland Motte

Barland Motte is a small medieval earthwork near the village of Bishopston in Powys, Wales. It stands on private farmland half a kilometre north-east of St Teilo’s Church. The site consists of a low circular mound about eight metres across and three metres high, surrounded by wide ditches. These ditches may mark the edges of former buildings or defensive lines. A stepped path leads up the side of the mound, where visitors can walk the top. The remains are quiet and open to the sky. The motte is worth visiting because it connects to records from the Domesday Book. Hugh L’Asne held the land when the survey was made in the 11th century. By the 13th century the name had changed to Barland and the site was owned by powerful lords such as William de Braose and Edmund Mortimer. Excavations in 1898 found pottery and leather shoes from that period, while later work showed traces of a strong wooden palisade. Visitors find a simple grassy mound with wide ditches and a clear view across the surrounding countryside. The stepped bank is easy to climb and the top offers space to stand and look around. The ditches show where buildings once stood or where defenders once stood guard. The place is peaceful, with no modern buildings nearby, and the only sounds are the wind and distant farm work.