Tinboeth Castle

Tinboeth Castle stands on a bend of the River Ithon in mid-Wales, between the villages of Llanbister and Llanbadarn Fynydd. The remains occupy an Iron Age hillfort about 11 miles from Llandrindod Wells. A twin-towered gatehouse once marked the north-east corner of the outer defences. Inside, a stone wall enclosed an inner bailey reached through the gatehouse. The site measures roughly 100 metres across and shows earthworks where walls once stood. The castle was built in the 13th century by Roger Mortimer, a powerful marcher lord. Historical records first mention it in 1282, the same year another of Mortimer’s castles, Cymaron, was likely abandoned. After Mortimer’s death the Crown took control, but with Wales at peace the fortress was no longer needed. By the 14th century it had fallen into ruin, leaving only fragments of the gatehouse and low earthworks. Visitors today see grassy banks marking the hillfort’s edge and the remains of the collapsed gatehouse. The River Ithon curves close by, and the surrounding hills give a quiet, open outlook. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales recognises the site as an important medieval monument. Few tourists come, so the place feels undisturbed.