CPAT16124

CPAT Regional Historic Environment Record
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Cefnllys

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 16124
Trust : Clwyd Powys
Community : Penybont
Unitary authority : Powys
NGR : SO0853361497
Site Type (preferred type first) : MULTIPERIOD SETTLEMENT

Description :
1 Location

1.1 A high and isolated hill dramatically rising within a great loop of the River Ithon is surmounted by the earthwork remains of Cefnllys Castle. The church and settlement that accompanied it lie on a flat spur, akin to a river terrace, projecting westwards towards the river from the base of the hill.

1.2 Cefnllys is just over 2km east of Llandrindod Wells.

2 History

2.1 Though the date of the first earthwork castle at Cefnllys is unknown, there is a documented tradition that Elystan Glodrydd had a castle here in the 10th century. The Mortimers may have thrown up fortifications here in the 12th century to replace the motte and bailey at Din Iethon some two miles to the north. However, other commentators have suggested that the first Norman work on site was the stone fortification erected by Roger Mortimer between 1240 and 1246, it falling to Llewelyn twenty years later in 1262. A more substantial foundation for a new keep at the south-west end of the hill was developed by the Mortimers in about 1273 after the Treaty of Montgomery. The castle was burnt by Glyndwr in 1406. A house was built on the site by a new constable of the castle between 1432 and 1459, and his bard describes the keep as having an octagonal tower. By the time that Leland passed by around 1540 the castle was in ruins.

2.2 There are references to a medieval borough at Cefnllys (PRN 4246), probably designed to be the chief town of the cantref of Malienydd, though the date of its foundation is not chronicled. Certainly it was in existence by 1297 when a market charter was granted, and by 1304 there were 25 tenants and a mill on the Ithon in the vill of 'Keventhlis'. The prosperity seems to have been short-lived. In 1332 only 20 burgeses were recorded in what was specifically termed a 'borough' and fifty years later 10 burgages had been abandoned.

2.3 Pontage was one of the tolls recorded in 1304, suggesting a bridge across the Ithon, perhaps where the present 'Shaky Bridge' is sited with tracks leading south and west from it.

2.4 Lewis indicates that it retained its burghal status into the 19th century. It was one of the five boroughs in Radnorshire that jointly returned a Member of Parliament under the Act of Union in 1536 and, after the abandonment of the castle, the court leet continued to be held at Neuadd, a few hundred metres to the north of the castle site. Williams reported that it was still held there in the early 19th century.

2.5 An estate map dated to c.1770 shows in addition to Shaky Bridge and the 'ruins of the Old Castle', a few extra houses dispersed around Cefnllys: two east of the church and a couple more north-west of Neuadd.

3 Buildings and Archaeology

3.1 It has been suggested that the large bailey of Cefnllys Castle originated as an Iron Age hillfort (PRN 50039; SAM Radnor 8). Though there is little substantive supporting evidence, the location and appearance of the defences would not refute such a view.

3.2 Further evidence of prehistoric activity may be signalled by a 12m-long mound (PAR 4418; OS old plot 262) on the floodplain of the Ithon which on the basis of its composition has been identified as a 'burnt mound' or cooking place, perhaps of earlier, Bronze Age date.

3.3 Cefnllys Castle (PAR 50040; SAM Radnor 8), also sometimes known as Castell Glan Ithon, commands the surrounding area. It consists of two mottes and a bailey, the latter having an entrance halfway along its north-west side. Quarrying on the hilltop, where rock outcrops break the surface, has generally had a detrimental effect on the earthworks. The motte at the south-west end is separated from the bailey by a deep ditch, that at the north-east is incorporated within it and is in a badly damaged condition. Haslam refers to fallen masonry over the ridge crest and the former presence of a curtain wall. The NMR refers to a walled enclosure at the north-east end with angle towers and a free-standing, probably circular, tower within. The central area of the bailey is flat and it has been claimed that the foundations of rectangular buildings can be discerned. Certainly there are scoops within the east rampart, some of which may result from quarrying, but others could mark the position of earlier buildings. In addition, on the west side there are two rectangular enclosures, the more northerly of which appears to overlie the rampart, which the other has a dwelling platform in its south-east angle. These are probably of late medieval or even later date. A thorough re-assessment of this site is required.

3.4 St Michael's Church (PRN 16054; Grade II listing) is single-chambered with a west tower, the windows are 16th century perhaps set in earlier, 13th-century walls, and the tower is rebuilt. It was restored in 1895 after being deliberately unroofed two years earlier. There is a 13th-century piscina and a font that is thought to be 14th-century.

3.5 The churchyard (PRN 16101) which lies at the apex of the spur is irregular in form and is not raised, except as a result of the natural slope on the west. There is no clear reason to see this as an early medieval creation.

3.6 The ruins of a dwelling (PRN 16102), identified as Ty'n-y-llan on late 19th-century Ordnance Survey maps, lies little more than 100m east-south-east of the church, with traces of another cottage (PRN 16103) some 50m to the north.

3.7 Immediately to the north-east of the churchyard on flat ground are low platform earthworks with further rather better defined examples further east. It seems probable that these (PRN 16104) represent the locations of dwellings within the settlement of medieval Cefnllys.

3.8 South of the church on ground sloping down to the river, and less clearly, to the south-west, aerial photographs show ridge and furrow (PRN 16108) surviving in pasture. Ground observation is less revealing.

3.9 Field names with the element 'park', in the vicinity of Neuadd, appear to corroborate the documentary reference in 1360 to a deer park at Cefnllys (PRN 4211).

3.10 The siting of the borough has generated considerable discussion. The documented mill, the local topography and also perhaps the collection of the toll of pontage to maintain a bridge across the Ithon favour its development in the vicinity of the church. Early aerial photographs reveal earthwork banks perhaps representing raised causeways on low land beside the river. Furthermore there are the earthworks to the north-east of the church and sunken roads on the south. An alternative view has been propounded that the borough was sufficiently small to have been accommodated within the capacious bailey of the castle, though this seems to be based on supposition rather than hard evidence.

3.11 Neuadd (PRN 16074; Grade II listing) is probably of 17th-century origin, but was altered substantially in the 19th century. South of the farm, ridge and furrow (PRN 16105) survives in a pasture field.

1) History of development
Cefnllys is recorded in 1246 as Keventhles, with other variations on this form during the 13th
century. The name combines the elements cefn meaning 'ridge' and llys interpreted as 'court'.

Though the date of the first earthwork castle at Cefnllys is unknown, there is a tradition that
Elystan Glodrydd maintained a fortification here in the 10th century. The lords of Maelienydd
could have thrown up fortifications here in the 12th century, perhaps to replace the motte and
bailey at Din Iethon some two miles to the north, but there is no documentation to support this
possibility Other commentators, however,have suggested that the first work on site was the
stone fortification erected by Roger Mortimer between 1240 and 1246, which fell to Llewelyn
twenty years later in 1262. A more substantial foundation for a new keep at the south-west
end of the hill was developed by the Mortimers in about 1273 after the Treaty of
Montgomery. The castle was burnt by Glyndwr in 1406. A house was built on the site by a
new constable of the castle between 1432 and 1459, and his bard describes the keep as having
an octagonal tower. By the time that Leland passed by around 1540 the castle was in ruins.

There are references to a medieval borough at Cefnllys (4246), probably designed to become
the chief town of the cantref of Malienydd. The date of its foundation is not chronicled, but it
was certainly in existence by 1297 when a market charter was granted, and by 1304 there
were 25 tenants and a mill on the Ithon in the vill of Keventhlis. The prosperity seems to have
been short-lived. In 1332 only 20 burgesses were recorded in what was specifically termed a
'borough' and fifty years later 10 of the burgages had been abandoned.

Pontage was one of the tolls recorded in 1304, suggesting a bridge across the Ithon, perhaps
where the present 'Shaky Bridge' is sited, with tracks leading south and west from it.
Lewis claimed that it retained its burghal status into the 19th century. It was one of the five
boroughs in Radnorshire that jointly returned a Member of Parliament under the Act of Union
in 1536 and, after the abandonment of the castle, the court leet continued to be held at
Neuadd, a few hundred metres to the north of the castle site. Williams reported that it was still
held there in the early 19th century.

An estate map dated to c.1770 shows a few dwellings dispersed around Cefnllys in addition to
Shaky Bridge and the 'ruins of the Old Castle': two east of the church and a couple more
north-west of Neuadd.

2)The heritage to 1750
It has been convincingly argued that the large bailey of Cefnllys Castle originated as an Iron
Age hillfort (50039; SAM Rd008). Cefnllys Castle (50040), also sometimes known as Castell
Glan Ithon, commands the surrounding area. It consists of two mottes at opposite ends of the
hill with a bailey attached to the more southerly one. Quarrying on the hilltop, where rock
outcrops break the surface, has generally had a detrimental effect on the earthworks. The
central area of the bailey is flat and it has been claimed that the foundations of rectangular
buildings can be discerned. Certainly there are scoops within the east rampart, some of which
may result from quarrying, but others could mark the position of earlier buildings.

St Michael's Church (16054; Grade II listing) is single-chambered with a west tower, the
windows are 16th-century perhaps set in earlier, 13th-century walls, and the tower is rebuilt. It
was heavily restored in 1895 after being deliberately unroofed two years earlier. There is a
13th-century piscine, a font thought to be 14th-century and a restored 15th-century screen.
The churchyard (16101) which lies at the apex of the spur is irregular in form and is not
raised, except as a result of the natural slope on the west. There is no obvious reason to see it
as an early medieval creation.

The ruins of a dwelling (16102), identified as Ty'n-y-llan on late 19th-century Ordnance
Survey maps, lies little more than 100m east-south-east of the church, with traces of another
cottage (16103) some 50m to the north.

The siting of the borough of Cefnllys has generated considerable discussion. The documented
mill, the local topography and also perhaps the collection of the toll of pontage to maintain a
bridge across the Ithon favour the development of settlement in the vicinity of the church.
Immediately to the north-east of the churchyard on flat ground are a number of platform
earthworks with some rather better defined examples further east (16104; 23648). It seems
probable that these represent the locations of dwellings within the settlement of medieval
Cefnllys, and the area is now protected as a scheduled ancient monument. More surprising
perhaps is that while metal detecting recovered Tudor and later finds from around the church
there were virtually no medieval finds. An alternative view of the borough is that it was
sufficiently small to have been accommodated within the capacious bailey of the castle on the
top of the ridge, though this view seems to be based on supposition rather than hard evidence;
and a further suggestion implies that there was no nucleated settlement here, but rather a
dispersed spread of houses in the valley which collectively might still have been considered a
borough.

South of the church on ground sloping down to the river, and less clearly, to the south-west,
aerial photographs show ridge and furrow (16108) surviving in pasture. Ground observation
of these remains is less revealing.

Field names with the element 'park', in the vicinity of Neuadd, appear to corroborate the
documentary reference in 1360 to a deer park at Cefnllys (4211).

Neuadd (16074; Grade II listing) is probably of 17th-century origin, but was altered
substantially in the 19th century. South of the farm, ridge and furrow (16105) survives in a
pasture field.(Silvester, R J and Martin, C H R, 2011)

Sources :
Beresford, Maurice , 1988 , New Towns of the Middle Ages, Town Plantation in England, Wales and Gascony
Brown, A E , 1972 , The Castle, Borough and Park of Cefnllys , The Transactions of the Radnorshire Society : 42 : 11-22
Cadw , 1993 , title unknown - Cefnllys
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 1993 , Site visit record - PRN16124
Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust , 1994 , CPAT Project Archive
Davies, E , 1905 , A general history of the county of Radnor
Delaney, C J & Soulsby, I N , 1975 , Historic Towns in Radnor District
Gregory, D., 1994 , Radnorshire: A Historical Guide
Haslam, R , 1979 , Buildings of Wales: Powys
Howse, W H , 1949 , Radnorshire, corrections and additions by the author , The Transactions of the Radnorshire Society : 19 : 3-11
National Monuments Record of Wales , NMR index
Owen, Morfydd E , 2011 , A Fifteenth-Century Lawbook from Cefnllys , The Transactions of the Radnorshire Society : 81 : 77-93
Parker, K , 2003 , Parlimentary Enclosure in Radnorshire , The Transactions of the Radnorshire Society : 73 : 127-147
Rowley, T., 2001 , The Welsh Border Archaeology, History & Landscape
Silvester, R J , 1994 , Radnorshire Historic Settlements (

© Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust)
Soulsby, I., 1983 , The Towns of Medieval Wales A Study of Their History, Archaeology and Early Topography
Tithe Commissioners , 1841 , Tithe Map
Unknown , 1770 , title unknown - Cefnllys

Events :
123099 : Historic Settlements Survey, Radnorshire, assessment project 2011 (year : 2011)
123100 : Historic Settlements Survey, Radnorshire, desk-based assessment 2011 (year : 2011)

Related records

Compiled date : 31-12-1995

Images :

Archaeological data, from the Historic Environment Record, supplied by The Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust in partnership with Local Authorities, Cadw and the partners of ENDEX © CPAT, 2025 (and in part © Crown, 2025). It is intended to be used for private research only and is not for use as part of commercial projects. If you wish to use this information for publication in printed or multimedia form or to compile resources for commercial use, prior permission must be obtained in writing. Use of this information is subject to the terms and conditions of access to HER data published on CPAT's website. Please contact the HER if you have any further questions regarding this information. Please quote the Primary Reference Numbers (PRNs) in any correspondence.
March 29, 2025, 12:24 pm - File produced for Archwilio from CPAT's Regional HER.
Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust, The Offices, Coed y Dinas, Welshpool, Powys, SY21 8RP
tel (01938) 553670, email her@cpat.org.uk, website www.cpat.org.uk

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