Police appeal launched following damage to ancient monument

Police have appealed for information after a protected historic site near Wrexham was damaged.

North Wales Police said electric bikes were ridden across the remains of a motte and bailey castle within the grounds of Erddig Hall on April 10, causing harm to the structure.

Officers from the Rural Crime Team are investigating the incident and have urged anyone with information to come forward.

PC Dave Allen said the individuals involved had not sought permission to access the site and may have committed heritage crime offences.

“The remains of the castle are designated by Cadw for their historical value and to protect them for future generations,” he said.

“Anybody with information about the damage at Erddig should contact us via our website or by calling 101, quoting reference O054202.”

The site at Erddig dates back to the period following the Norman conquest of England, when the borderlands of north east Wales were fortified.

The castle is believed to have been constructed in the late 11th century by Hugh d’Avranches, the second Earl of Chester, as part of a network of defences intended to secure the area from Welsh attacks.

The remains include a large circular mound, or motte, and an adjoining bailey area enclosed by deep ditches and banks. Archaeological evidence suggests the motte would once have supported a timber tower, while the surrounding earthworks formed part of the castle’s outer defences.

Although no stone structures survive today, the earthworks remain an important example of early Norman military architecture in Wales.