Banc y Betws

Banc y Betws or Betws Castle, is a motte and scheduled ancient monument in Wales. It is located in Llangyndeyrn, Carmarthenshire; map grid [//tools.wmflabs.org/os/coor_g/?pagename=Banc_y_Betws&params=SN458154_region%3AGB_scale%3A25000 SN458154.] It is a mound approximately 40 metres by 35 metres, and roughly 9 metres high. The top of the mound is concave, with the centre about 3 ft lower than the rim. A dry ditch, approximately 5 metres wide and two metres deep, surrounds the site except on the north side, where it has been filled in. The eastern face of the mound was been damaged by quarrying in the mid-twentieth century. The Historic Environment Record for the castles indicates that the site has not been archaeologically excavated and does not mention any recorded history.

The Normans introduced motte-and-bailey castles from France to countries such as Britain, where the technology was adopted by the Welsh people. The largest clustering of these in Britain are in the Welsh Marches: namely Shropshire, Cheshire, Herefordshire, Powys and Flintshire. The largest parts of the castle were built in Wales between the 11th century and the second half the 12th century out of soil and stone, usually with a ditch as well.

The castle is registered with Cadw, number CM124.