Hen Domen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hen Domen |
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The motte at Hen Domen
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| Type | motte-and-bailey |
| Location | Powys, Wales |
| OS grid reference | SO 213 980 |
| Community | Montgomery |
| Principal area | Powys |
| Official name: Hen Domen Mound & Bailey Castle | |
| Designated | 1926 |
| Reference no. | MG013 |
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Hen Domen is an old castle site in Powys, Wales. Its name means "old mound" in Welsh. This was once a medieval castle made of timber.
It was the first Montgomery Castle, built by Roger de Montgomery in 1070. From 1105, the de Boulers family lived there. The town of Montgomery gets its Welsh name, Trefaldwyn ("The Town of Baldwin"), from Baldwin de Boulers.
Later, between 1223 and 1234, a new stone castle was built. It was placed about a mile away on a rocky hill. This new spot is where the town of Montgomery is today. The Hen Domen site has been carefully dug up by archaeologists.
You can see models of both the old Hen Domen and the new Montgomery Castles. These models show how they looked and how archaeologists found them. They are on display at The Old Bell Museum in Montgomery.
Contents
Where is Hen Domen Located?
Hen Domen is found on the western edge of a small village called Hendomen. It is about 1 mile (1.6 km) northwest of Montgomery town. It is also about 1.2 miles (2 km) west of Offa's Dyke.
The castle was built on a low hill. This spot was only about half a mile (0.7 km) from a shallow crossing of the River Severn. This crossing was very important back then. The castle offered great views of the Severn Valley and the Vale of Montgomery.
What Did Hen Domen Look Like?
The Hen Domen castle was a type called a motte-and-bailey castle. This means it had two main parts:
- A motte (a tall mound of earth).
- A bailey (a larger, enclosed area next to the motte).
The whole castle area was roughly oval-shaped. It measured about 164 feet (50 m) by 131 feet (40 m). A ditch about 9 feet (2.7 m) deep surrounded the site.
The Motte and Bailey Layout
The motte was in the southwest corner of the site. It stood about 26 feet (8 m) high. Its top was flat and about 22 feet (6.7 m) across. The bailey covered an area of about one-third of an acre (0.13 hectares).
Buildings and Defenses
Archaeologists have dug up the site from the 1960s to the 1990s. They found signs of many buildings. On the motte, there was a tall timber building. A bridge connected this building to the bailey.
In the bailey, there was a large hall. It measured about 16 feet (5 m) by 20 feet (6 m). Other findings include a wooden fence around the bailey. There was also a wooden tower, a gatehouse, and a granary. It's even possible there was a small chapel.
The History of Hen Domen
Hen Domen was built soon after 1071. This was when William the Conqueror gave Roger de Montgomery large areas of Shropshire. Roger de Montgomery was the first Earl of Shrewsbury.
Archaeological findings suggest the castle was finished before 1100. Roger de Montgomery named the castle Montgomery. He named it after the town in France where he came from.
