Castle - motte, Twyford, Co. Westmeath
Sitting on the northeast slope of a gentle rise in County Westmeath, this medieval motte offers commanding views across the pastoral landscape, with Twy Lough visible just 185 metres to the north.
Castle - motte, Twyford, Co. Westmeath
The earthwork dates back to the Anglo-Norman period, when such fortifications were hastily constructed across Ireland to secure newly conquered territories. What remains today is an impressive oval-shaped mound, its steep sides rising to a flat summit that measures roughly 16 metres east to west and 12 metres north to south.
The motte’s defensive features are still clearly visible despite centuries of weathering and agricultural activity. A wide fosse, or defensive ditch, encircles the base of the mound, though it has been partially filled in along the southern approaches. Beyond this, traces of an outer bank made from earth and stone can still be detected, particularly well preserved along the northern arc from northwest to northeast. The flat summit is scattered with stones and features a curious circular depression near its centre, possibly indicating the location of a former timber tower or other structure that once crowned this fortification.
First documented on the 1910 Ordnance Survey map as an oval earthwork, the site was formally surveyed in 1973 and continues to be monitored by archaeological services. Today, trees have colonised the ancient earthwork, their roots both protecting and gradually altering this remnant of medieval military architecture. Located 430 metres north-northwest of Twyford House, the motte remains a prominent feature in the landscape, its distinctive profile still visible on modern aerial photography as a testament to the strategic importance this location once held.