Lampeter Castle ( cy, Castell Llanbedr), sometimes known as Stephen's Castle, was built during the Norman expansion into Wales at the end of the eleventh century. The

motte A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively easy to ...

is in the grounds of

Lampeter University University of Wales, Lampeter ( cy, Prifysgol Cymru, Llanbedr Pont Steffan) was a university in Lampeter, Wales. Founded in 1822, and incorporated by royal charter in 1828, it was the oldest degree awarding institution in Wales, with limited ...

but the precise whereabouts of the bailey is unknown. It was captured by Cadell ap Gruffydd in 1146.

History

Lampeter Castle lies beside one of the main trade routes between South and North of Wales, people settled nearby and the

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

Lampeter Lampeter (; cy, Llanbedr Pont Steffan (formal); ''Llambed'' ( colloquial)) is a town, community and electoral ward in Ceredigion, Wales, at the confluence of the Afon Dulas with the River Teifi. It is the third largest urban area in Ceredigion ...

came into existence over time. It is not known who originally built the castle but in 1146, it was captured by Cadell ap Gruffydd, Prince of

Deheubarth Deheubarth (; lit. "Right-hand Part", thus "the South") was a regional name for the realms of south Wales, particularly as opposed to Gwynedd (Latin: ''Venedotia''). It is now used as a shorthand for the various realms united under the House o ...

, however he was incapacitated as ruler of Deheubarth five years later when he was attacked while out hunting by a Norman force from Tenby, and was left for dead. At the time,

Totnes Priory Totnes Priory was a priory at Totnes in south Devon, England. It was founded by Juhel de Totnes, feudal baron of Totnes. Foundation charter The foundation charter dated circa 1087 is held at the Devon Heritage Centre in Exeter under reference ...

held St Peter's Church at Lampeter, and the original grantor may have been Stephen, constable of Cardigan. The castle was the site of several battles. Until the Statute of Wales in 1284, Lampeter was fiercely contested between the English and the Welsh because it was on a trade route that both sides wanted to control.

The site

The motte is to be found at the back of the Old Building at Lampeter University. It is a sizeable mound, being some wide at the bottom, high and no more than wide at the top. Although there would have been a bailey, its precise location is unknown, but its outline may have influenced the layout of nearby retaining walls, and may have extended towards the church. The motte has been somewhat truncated by building work and incorporated into the landscaping of the college grounds.

References

{{coord, 52.1145, -4.0762, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Castles in Ceredigion Motte-and-bailey castles Lampeter