Domen Castell, Welshpool

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Domen Gastell; Pola; Pole; Pool; Pol; Powis; Trallwng; Trallung; Trallwm

In the community of Welshpool. In the historic county of Montgomeryshire (Modern authority of Powys, preserved county of Powys).

Probably the seat of Powys before Powis Castle was built. Domen Castell stands near to the railway station, and may be the site built in 1111 by Cadwgan ap Bleddyn, ruler of Powys. If so, this is probably the castle captured by the Anglo-Normans in c1190, and recaptured shortly afterwards by Gwenwynwyn. When Gryffydd ap Gwenwynwyn plotted against Llywelyn ap Gryffydd from Welshpool in 1274, the site was still a wooden structure; it was destroyed when Llywelyn removed him. The ramparts have been changed greatly, but was probably 60mx46m, and the south side still houses a 5m motte (9m across at the summit).

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SJ230074

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's National Monument Record (Coflein) number is 306957
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 120 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Web site links
  • http://www.castlewales.com/wlshpool.html
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_wales/126/welshpoolcastle.htm
• Books
  • Morgan, Gerald, 2008, Castles in Wales: A Handbook (Talybont: Y Lolfa Cyf.) p246 [listed]
    Salter, Mike, 2001, The Castles of Mid Wales (Malvern) p53
    Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p152
    Reid, Alan, 1998, Castles of Wales (John Jones Publishing) p136
    Burnham, H., 1995, A Guide to Ancient and Historic Wales: Clwyd and Powys (Cadw, London)
    Higham, R. and Barker, P., 1992, Timber Castles (Batsford) p64
    Davis, Paul R., 1988, Castles of the Welsh Princes (Swansea)
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p301 Vol2 p567
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p382
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p265
    RCAHMW, 1911, An Inventory of Ancient Monuments in Montgomeryshire (HMSO) p182 No931
    Lewis, Samual, 1849, A Topographical Dictionary of Wales http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=47891#s7 [history but confused with Powis Castle]
• Journal Articles
  • Silvester, R.J., 2008, 'Humfrey Bleaze's map of Welshpool and Powis Castle, 1629' Montgomeryshire Collections Vol96 p1-14
    Nenk, B.S., Margeson, S. and Hurley, M., 1992, 'Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1991' Medieval Archaeology Vol36 p184-308 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    Gibson. A., 1991, ‘Welshpool Motte. Welshpool’ Archaeology in Wales Vol31 p49
    Spurgeon, C.J., 1966, ‘The castles of Montgomeryshire’ Montgomeryshire Collections Vol58 p13-4, 51-4
    Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1963, 'Early castles in Wales and the Marches: a preliminary list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol112 p77-124
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 p249-280 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p90-121] http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0013-8266%28195904%2974%3A291%3C249%3AALOC1%3E2.0.CO%3B2-P
    Renn, D.F., 1959, 'Mottes: a classification' Antiquity Vol33 p106-12 [listed as precursor to Powis]
    Jones, M.C., 1882, Montgomeryshire Collections Vol15 p368
    Clark, G.T., 1877, 'The moated mounds of the upper Severn' Montgomeryshire Collections Vol10 p329-48
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • Toulmin-Smith, Lucy (ed), 1906, Leland's Itinerary in Wales (Bell and Sons; London) p53 http://www.archive.org/details/itineraryinwales00lelauoft
• Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such.)
  • Gibson, A.M., 1996, Domen Castell Motte & Bailey Castle, Welshpool: archaeological watching brief (CPAT report)
    Silvester, R.J., 1992, Montgomeryshire Historic Settlements (CPAT report)