A HISTORY OF HEREFORDSHIRE DoRSTONE Castle DoRSTONE Castle. — About 5 miles east-by-south of Hay are remains which indicate the existence of a Norman stronghold of the mount and court type, but lacking a feature common to most of this class, a rampart round the inner edge of the bailey, or court moat. Possibly the moat or fosse was considered sufficient defence ; certainly no trace of a ram- part exists, and previous writers have spoken of Dorstone earth- works as consisting of simply a mount, overlooking the evi- dence of the existence of a bailey. The position occupied has no natural defence save the protection afforded by the stream from the south-west along the northern side, and reliance must have been placed on the strength of the works. The mount rises from 25 ft. to 30ft. above its fosse, which, as the plan shows, was continued completely around it, joining the fosse of the bailey. The summit of the mount is level and measures 108 ft. by 84 ft. No masonry remains, but it is possible that here, as in so many places, a shell keep of stone may have succeeded the timber stockade which once crowned the summit. This seems to have been one of a chain of border strongholds extending from Clifford Castle to Snodhill Castle, the fortified farm-buildings at Urishay, and southward through Ewyas Harold to the important equilateral defence of Skenfrith, Grosmoat, and Whitecastle." Dorstone : Mynydd-Brith. — This small stronghold is situated about 3 miles east-by-south of Hay, and is naturally defended upon the north and east by the fall of the hill. All that we now see is a small mount, cut off from the higher land south and west by a moat, the ballast from which has been added to the natural knoll (the latter being scarped on the north and east). Upon the west is a space which may have served as a court, the north and west sides having a natural fall to the stream, while there is the trace of a scarp upon the south. A quarter of a mile south-by-west is another mount castle, called Nant-y-Bar, on ground considerably higher. There are eight other mount castles within 4 miles. Eardisley Castle. — The village and castle of Eardisley lie 4I miles south-east of Kington, on land about 240 ft. above sea level. The stream extending on the northern side and the arm of it flowing from north- west to south-east afforded considerable natural protection to the site. The plan can only be regarded as approximately correct, as the remains are in somewhat chaotic condition. A small mount 20 ft. to 30 ft. high, with a level summit 42 ft. in diameter, is the leading feature. On its north-east is a " See Trans. Woolhope Field Club (1886-9), 2Z4- 236 Mynydd-Brith, Dorstone
