Hen Domen, Medieval motte-and-bailey castle in Montgomery, Great Britain
Hen Domen is a Norman timber castle in Montgomery, Wales, featuring a raised mound about 8 meters high with a bailey beside it. The site displays the classic two-part structure of early medieval fortifications with steep slopes and a flat-topped earthwork.
Roger de Montgomery built this timber fortification in 1071 just after the Norman Conquest to establish the original Montgomery Castle. The structure served the new Norman rulers in controlling and settling the Welsh border region.
Archaeological excavations at the site have revealed complex building foundations, including a large hall and defensive structures with wooden palisades.
The site offers open access to explore the mound and bailey, though sturdy footwear is needed due to steep slopes and muddy ground conditions. Visitors can see archaeological finds and scale models at the nearby Old Bell Museum in Montgomery to better understand the castle.
Archaeological excavations have revealed multiple successive settlement layers beneath the mound, showing the site was used long before the Norman foundations were laid. These layers allow researchers to trace how the fortification evolved over centuries of occupation.
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