Tomen y Mur

The name Tomen y Mur means mound of the wall. As the site is on a masonry Roman fort the meaning of the name becomes obvious. The mound itself consists primarily of a jumble of stone, which seems to show its makeup as similar to that of nearby Castell Prysor. It therefore seems logical that the 'motte' was once a tower of some description before it became a mound. Only excavation could ever prove the point.

The castle history may have begun in the late 1070s when Robert Rhuddlan was establishing his rule in the district. The site is said to have been visited by King William Rufus (1087-1100) during one of his North Welsh campaings, but this is not certain. Henry I (d.1135) also seems to have used the castle as a stopping point in 1114. This is the last mention of the fortress in the middle ages. Perhaps it too had been demolished in 1094 and never rose again.

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