This is a cracking site to visit. Probably the best Motte and Baily site I have been to. As you near the castle there is a phone box and a large are next to it where you can park. The castle is in a field across the other side of the lane – easily seen from the phone box. Access is via an open gate. Just one word of warning – the ground approaching the castle is very boggy and wet – even though it doesn’t look it!
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There’s an excellent example of a motte and bailey castle here, with a well preserved ring keep, but that’s not at all relevant to this web site. The area where the castle is built is not widely recognised as having prehistoric providence, but having visited a number of times I inclined to think there’s a strong possibility that it was built on an existing Iron Age settlement. I base this theory on the unusually large size of the bailey in proportion to the motte.
In the book Saints and Stones (ISBN 1-84323-124-7) Davies and Eastham draw similar conclusions, suggesting that the Guise (or Gwis) family built their castle on, “what was probably a rath or Iron Age settlement”. I need to do some more reading and see who else shares this idea.
A useful aerial photo of Wiston Castle, hopefully illustrating my point about the possibility of a prehistoric connection.
Sites within 20km of Wiston Castle
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Rudbaxton Rath
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The Tumps
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Dan y Coed and Woodhouse
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Faenor Gaer
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Redstone Cross
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Parc y Llyn
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Garn Turne
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The Altar
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Dyffryn Stones
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Budloy Stone
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The Hanging Stone
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Mynydd Castlebythe Barrow Cemetery
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Cornel Bach
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Bryn Dwyrain
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Parc y Tywod Maenhir
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St Teilo’s Church
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Temple Druid Stone
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Parc Maen Llwyd Standing Stone
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Plumstone Mountain
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Lower Broadmoor Monolith
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Eithbed
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Carreg Coitan Arthur, Puncheston
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Maenpica
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Hangstone Davey
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Rhos Maen Hir
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Mynydd Cilciffieth
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Yr Allor
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Foel Eryr
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Pant-yr-Odyn
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Meini Gwyr
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Parc y Garreg
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Waun Maes
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Foel Cwm-Cerwyn
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Maen-y-Parc 'B' and 'C'
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Coynant Maenhir
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Maen-y-Parc 'A'
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Glandymawr
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The Longstone
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Castell Garw
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Newhouse
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Maen Hir
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Clym Saith Maen
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St Canna’s Stone
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Gors Fawr
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Cerrig Meibion Arthur
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Foel Feddau
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Carn Besi
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Harold Stone (The Havens)
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Black Point Rath
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Gwal-y-Filiast
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Upper Lodge Stones
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Rhos Fach Standing Stones
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Crug Swllt
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Tafarn y Bwlch
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Waun Mawn Stone
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Waun Mawn Row /
Circle photo 27ondemand_video 1description 2link 1 -
The Long Stone
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The Wogan
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Tre-Fach Standing Stone
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The Stone River
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Trellwyn-fawr
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Amroth Mesolithic forest
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Cross Hands
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Newgale submerged forest
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Carn Bica
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Parc-y-Meirw
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Bedd Arthur
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Cefn Brafle
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Castles
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Mynydd Melyn
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Coitan Arthur
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Lewiston Hill
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Mynydd Melyn east
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Bowett Wood Camp
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Bedd Morris
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West Popton Camp
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Glyn Gath
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Beddyrafanc
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Carn Goedog
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Carn Edward
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Carn Menyn Chambered Cairn
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Castle Park
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Waun Lwyd Stones
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Carn Edward II
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Penlan Stones
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Norchard Beacon
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Carn Enoch
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Carn Meini
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Carn Enoch
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Carn Gwr
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Carn Breseb
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Carn Llwyd South (Carningli)
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Carn Briw
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Carningli South
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Gumfreston
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Carn Alw
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Carn Ingli Camp
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Pleasant View
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Ty Meini
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South Hook Rath
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Carn Ferched
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Maenllwyd y Rhos
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Treffynnon
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Glandwr Churchyard
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Crugiau Dwy
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Longstone Field
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Carn Ffoi
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Cot Llwyd
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Crug Bach
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Dry Burrows
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Carn Llwyd North (Carningli)
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Nolais
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Carn Frân
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Hoyle’s Mouth Cave
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