Across the road from the church in the Welsh border village of Chirk stands a well preserved earthwork castle mound (motte) that was known as Castell y Waun; the Castell of the Marsh in English. The motte stands at the top of a steep bank that rises from the floor of the Ceiriog Valley, which marks the border between north east Wales and England, at a point that overlooks an ancient crossing across the river valley.

The circular motte has a diameter of 30 metres at its base, stands around 6 metres high at its lowest side (away from the bank) and is 7 metres across its flat top. The motte would have been topped by a sturdy wooden palisade and tower but there are now no signs of them or the usual encircling ditch and bailey. The castle is thought to have been built between 1165 and 1212, possibly by a prince of Powys or Gwynedd, and it was superseded by the nearby stone castle of Edward I after the defeat of the Welsh princes in 1283.

There is another motte at Chirk Bank on the side of the Ceiriog Valley in the grounds of Oaklands Hall. Both mottes are in private gardens but can be viewed with the permission of the owners.

The view looking west towards the village from the top of the motte

The motte gave a commanding view over the Ceiriog Valley and the English plains