As you drive around the country roads of south Wales, you might pass a peculiar square clearing encircled by calm water.

From below, this place may not even catch your eye, but from above it’s strikingly out of place compared to the surrounding landscape.

That’s because this spot was once the site of a manor called Hen Gwrt that was used by bishops and nobles many centuries ago.

Grandness now gone

Hen Gwrt, also known as “The Old Court”, started life as a timber manor house in the thirteenth century that belonged to the local bishops of Llandaff.

A century later, a moat was established around the manor (a beam from the original bridge still survives today!), turning it into an island around 75 metres wide.

Much later in the sixteenth century, Hen Gwrt was rebuilt and turned into a stone hunting lodge.

However, after nearby Raglan Castle was dismantled and abandoned during the English Civil War, the lodge was forgotten about and now nothing remains of it.

As you walk around this calm clearing, will you be able to imagine what The Old Court would have once looked like?

Smack bang in the middle of history

One of the best things about Hen Gwrt Moated Site is that it’s in the middle of so many amazing castles.

Just south of it, you’ll find Raglan Castle, an impressive ruin that was likely once attended by the same nobles who used Hen Gwrt.

A stone’s throw north is White Castle, an ancient Norman fortress built in the 12th-century, while a longer trip north-east will take you to Skenfrith Castle, a 13th-century ruin in a stunning location by the river.

There’s so much history to appreciate in this area, so why not try and see it all in one whirlwind trip?

Hen Gwrt Moated Site is located in a lovely, quiet clearing near the gorgeous little village of Llantilio Crossenny.

You’ll be able to relax in peace here, and it’s a great place to begin your journey into exploring the fascinating history of this area.