Castle Nimble facts for kids
Castle Nimble, also known by names like Knapp or Maes Hyfaidd, was a type of castle called a motte and bailey. It was built for defense near Old Radnor in Wales, in an area now called Powys. This castle had a round hill, called a motte, surrounded by a ditch. It also had a nearly rectangular area, called a bailey, and other enclosed spaces, possibly even a pond.
History of Castle Nimble
Not much is known about the exact history of Castle Nimble. However, some historians think it might have been built by a person named Philip de Braose. Philip de Braose is known to have built a castle in the Radnor area around the year 1096. People believe this castle was either Castle Nimble or the one at New Radnor.
Another idea is that Castle Nimble was built by Harold Godwinson. He was an important leader, the Earl of Hereford. After he won a battle against Gruffydd ap Llywelyn in 1063, Harold built a castle. This castle might have been Castle Nimble. However, some people think it was actually New Radnor Castle instead.
To help tell it apart from other nearby castles, Castle Nimble is sometimes called Old Radnor No 1. This is because there's another, larger castle mound about 450 meters (about 492 yards) away at Knapp Hill Farm, which is called Old Radnor No 2.
What Remains at the Site Today
Today, not much of Castle Nimble is still standing. What you can see are the remains of an oval-shaped mound, which was the motte. This mound is about 24 meters (about 79 feet) long and 20 meters (about 66 feet) wide. It stands about 1.6 meters (about 5 feet) high. A ditch surrounds this mound. The flat top of the mound is about 16 meters (about 52 feet) long and 12 meters (about 39 feet) wide.
To the east of the motte, there is a nearly rectangular area called the bailey. This area is about 30 meters (about 98 feet) long and 20 meters (about 66 feet) wide, and it also has a ditch around it. There are also signs of another, larger enclosed area to the south of the bailey. This might have been a pool or a pond. Other castles in the area sometimes had water features like this.
Because the castle mound is quite low, experts think that other ways of defense were likely used. For example, a ditch filled with water would have been very helpful on this low, marshy land.
