Llanthomas Castle Mound

Europe · United Kingdom · Herefordshire

Llanthomas Castle Mound

1066Medieval

The story

History of Llanthomas Castle Mound

Llanthomas Castle Mound, United Kingdom
Llanthomas Castle Mound · 1066

Llanthomas Castle Mound in Llanigon (near Hay-on-Wye), Powys, was built by the Normans after the 1066 Norman Conquest of England, probably after the first or second Norman invasion of Wales, but before 1215.

United Kingdom · Herefordshire

Built
1066
Era
Medieval
Country
United Kingdom
Region
Herefordshire
UNESCO
—
Coordinates
52.056, -3.155

In depth

The fuller history

Antiquarian sources have revealed the link between Llanthomas Castle Mound with Hay-on-Wye, Llanigon, Llanthomas and Little Ffordd-Fawr (a ford crossing the River Wye). In Tudor times, Theophilus Jones suggested that Llanigo (Llaneygan in Anglo-Saxon, known today as Llanigon) was named after the first British female saint called Eigen. Saint Eigen lived around the end of the 1st century in the settlement called Trefynys (known today as Llanthomas). The pre-conquest nucleated settlement grew around a church, possibly on the site of the existing church of St. Eigon, in Llanigon.

John Lloyd wrote "the tumulus below Llanthomas is said to direct to the ford on the Wye". William Morgan interpreted this to mean that the castle guarded the road leading down to the River Wye. An Ordnance Survey map (published in 1888) shows that the road connects to the River Wye via the nearby ford called Little Ffordd-Fawr. CPAT indicate that Llanthomas is historically significant because it has "a motte from the early days of the Norman Conquest", and in the Tudor era its "ancient mansion" (as Samuel Lewis called it) was owned by a high-status individual.

Saint Eigen and Caractacus (her father) and the Roman conquest of Britain, the Devereux family and the Norman invasion of Wales and more recently the diarist Francis Kilvert. Francis walked along both sections of Llanthomas lane to visit "Daisy" (daughter of William Thomas), who lived in the modernised domicile of the Llanthomas lordship. The proposal of marriage was made within the walled gardens facing Llanthomas Castle Mound. The history associated with the Llanthomas area may be older.

Key dates

  1. 1066Llanthomas Castle Mound in Llanigon (near Hay-on-Wye), Powys, was built by the Normans after the 1066 Norman Conquest of England, probably after the first or second Norman invasion of Wales, but before 1215.
  2. 1509Walter inherited the Llanthomas lordship in 1509.
  3. 1553He became MP for Downton, Wiltshire in 1553.
  4. 1810James Jones High Sheriff of Brecknockshire (in 1810) sold Llanthomas estate (including its farm) and Llwyn Llwyd farm in Llanigon to Thynne Howe Gwynne in July 1814.
  5. 1954The hall was demolished in 1954.
  6. 1984The modern formal name Llanthomas Castle Mound was established by Cadw, who were founded in 1984.

Historical summary drawn from Wikipedia. Read the full article.

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