Aberllynfi Castle

Tomen Aberllynfi stands on a low mound beside the River Wye in Powys, a quiet corner of the Welsh Marches. The castle was built in the 11th or early 12th century as a simple earth-and-timber ringwork. It was one of many such mottes raised by Norman lords to control the borderlands after the Conquest. The site is recognised by Cadw as a scheduled ancient monument, listed under reference BR080. The largest concentration of these mottes in Britain lies across the old March counties: Shropshire, Cheshire, Herefordshire, Powys and Flintshire. Aberllynfi’s mound is small but typical of the type, showing how quickly the Normans organised the region. Visitors find a grassy mound about four metres high, with faint traces of an encircling ditch. The summit is level, giving views over the river valley and the surrounding farmland. The site is peaceful, with no modern intrusions, and the walk from the nearest lane is short. It is a quiet place to stand where medieval soldiers once kept watch over the border.