Graig-yr-Eurych Castle Mound

A small medieval earthwork stands on the edge of Caerleon, known as Mwnt y Castell. It lacks the usual surrounding defensive wall, or ‘beili’, which most mounds of this kind had. Built between the late 11th and mid-12th centuries, it was raised from soil and stone and usually surrounded by a ditch. The Normans introduced this style of fortification from France, and Welsh builders soon adopted it. The mound is one of many similar sites across Wales, but it belongs to the largest cluster found along the historic Welsh Marches. These borderlands, stretching through Shropshire, Cheshire, Herefordshire, Powys and Flintshire, contain the greatest concentration of such earthworks in Britain. Cadw recognises its importance and lists it as a scheduled monument under reference MM087. Visitors reach the mound on foot from nearby streets in Caerleon. The grassy rise offers a quiet spot above the town, with views over the surrounding landscape. No stone walls remain, so the shape of the mound and its surrounding ditch stand out clearly. The site is simple and uncluttered, letting the earthwork speak for itself.