The Gatehouse website record for Aberffraw llys and motte

In the community of Aberffraw. In the historic county of Anglesey (Modern authority of Anglesey, preserved county of Gwynedd).

Excavation, 1973-4 (White 1979) and 1979, with further work 1987-8 (White and Longley 1995), appeared to demonstrate the presence of a two-phase, round-angled, rectangular enclosure, at least 70m NNE-SSW, thought to represent a Roman military work, refurnished in the early medieval period as a llys (Princely court) enclosure; although a radio-carbon date centring on the period 27-387AD, appears to support this thesis, the identification of a Roman work is currently out of favour: the site of the llys, whose (partial?) dismantling is recorded in 1317, is regarded as uncertain (see Johnstone 1997, 63; Longley 1997, 45): two sculptured heads, of apparent C13 style, are known from the village (White 1978): the putative curving angle of the enclosure has been suggested to hint at the former presence of a motte: excavations at the traditional site of the llys, about 650m to the WSW, recorded only C18 remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is SH35456894

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's National Monument Record (Coflein) number is 401126; 400058
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is 1785 '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.

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The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Wales, the four welsh archaeological trusts and other individuals and organisations. All the sources given should be consulted to identify the original copyright holder and permission obtained from them before use of the information on this site for commercial purposes. I do not receive any income from this site and I fund it myself.
The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by John Kenyon for the Council for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.

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