Newtown & Llanllwchaiarn Town Council are delighted to announce that the dig at Newtown Mound will commence on Monday 7th February 2022 and will take place for three weeks.
Clwyd – Powys Archaeological Trust (CPAT) have been commissioned to undertake the archaeological evaluation to assist with the future management of the scheduled earthwork known as the Newtown Mound.
Newtown Mound is located to the south-west of the centre of Newtown in Powys. The mound is a scheduled monument (MG160) and is located within the town, on the north-western side of Park Street, beside the council offices.
Little is known about the mound, although it is thought to be medieval in date and associated with the foundation of the town, perhaps the 13th Century. Unlike other medieval earthwork castles along the Welsh Marches, this is both larger and D – Shaped. With evidence to suggest the mound was refortified during the Civil War, the summit may subsequently have been occupied by a building. During the 18th Century the mound was incorporated into the gardens and parkland surrounding Newtown’s Town Hall and a Summerhouse was in situ during the 19th Century.
Lead Councillor Richard Edwards comments on the project “I’m excited that the dig will be going ahead this year after being held up by Covid. Its so important that we understand the history of the place we live in, and this dig will discover more about an area of town that little is known about. There is an opportunity for the community to be involved as well. I’m hopefully going to be there myself getting my hands dirty”.
Clwyd – Powys Archaeological Trust (CPAT) who will manage the project are inviting volunteers to participate in the dig. There is opportunity to get involved with the dig across the three weeks, largely in excavation and fieldwork tasks. The excavation work will take place on weekdays only. People who are interested to volunteer should complete the form here to indicate availability: https://forms.gle/Pc2c6ZXpsDeQLT286 There will be an online site briefing at 7pm on Tuesday, February 1st over Zoom. If you are unable to attend this session live, it will be recorded and placed on YouTube for you to watch before you come on site. The link to this session will be emailed to all participants in late January
