Castell Einion Sais
Wednesday 5 August 2026 10:00-16:30
Thursday 6 August 2026 10:00-17:30
Castle Field, Penpont, off A40 5 miles west of Brecon ///range.admire.intensely
The Brecknock Society, with support from Bannau Brycheiniog’s Sustainable Development Fund, will be running a community archaeology project to explore a site on the Penpont Estate known as ‘Castell Einion Sais’.
The ‘castle’ was said to have belonged to Welsh landowner Einion ’Sais’ ap Rhys ap Hywel who lived in the mid 1200s, but its ruins were removed in the late 1700s during re-landscaping of the grounds at Penpont. Only the faintest traces remain on the ground and there is no record of what it looked like. However, recent analysis of LiDAR data by archaeologist Jennifer Muller of Heritage in Place suggests that the site was originally enclosed within a square moat.
Over Wednesday 5th and Thursday 6th August 2026 Jennifer will lead small groups of community volunteers who will investigate the site using ‘no-dig’ geophysical techniques to try to get a picture of what is beneath the ground. The aim is to see if we can confirm that there was once a moat and see if there are any traces of buildings or other features within or around it.
Come along to watch and find out more!
There will be a viewing and information area on site where you can watch the work, talk to volunteer helpers and view displays about the history of the site, Einion Sais, other moated sites in Breconshire and the archaeological techniques in use – and be among the first to find out about any discoveries. This will be open to all from 10.30am to 4.30pm, with a final briefing nearby in the Stables at Penpont at 4.30pm on Wednesday.
The site is about 5 miles west of Brecon, just off the A40. ///range.admire.intensely Turn onto the main drive of Penpont House and you will very soon see signs telling you where to park. (Don’t rely on satnav for the last part of the journey. Make sure you turn down the front drive on the Brecon (east) side of Penpont and not the back drive on the Sennybridge (west) side.)
Who was Einion Sais?
Einion was probably a descendant of the last Welsh ruler of Brycheiniog and an ancestor of Dafydd Gam and the powerful Games family. He may have had the nickname ‘Sais’ because he served in the army of the English King, or perhaps just because he could speak English. The history of Breconshire in this period has tended to concentrate on the Anglo-Norman marcher lords who were nominally in charge. However, recent research has shown that their control was often fragile and in some areas very limited. Men of Welsh birth could hold considerable power and responsibility – Einon and his descendants, especially his grandson Hywel Fychan, are emerging from the shadows as important examples of that class.
What is the significance of a moated site?
Brecon has a relatively high number of moated sites, but most are concentrated in a small area in the Llynfi basin between Bronllys and Brecon. While it is likely that most of these moats surrounded the dwellings of important people, there has been very little investigation of them – we know little for certain about their date or purpose. Any additional information will be most useful.
Why else are we doing this?
A key aim of the project is to give the community volunteers who have signed up hands-on experience of geophysical archaeological techniques, as well as to promote interest in the history of Breconshire more widely. We hope that as many people as possible will turn up at the site to find out more about this fascinating and enigmatic site!
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Bannau Brycheiniog’s Sustainable Development Fund supports projects that help improve quality of life in communities – protecting and enhancing the local environment, helping people to live healthy and fulfilled lives now and in the future. For more information, see: Sustainable Development Fund | Brecon Beacons National Park Authority https://beacons-npa.gov.uk/communities/substainable-development-fund/
The project will be run with the support of the Penpont Estate https://www.penpont.com and the Action for Conservation charity https://www.actionforconservation.org