Y Pigwyn

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The monument comprises the remains of two superimposed Roman marching camps, probably dating from the Flavian conquest of Wales in the first century AD (around AD 74 - 77). The camps enclose the highest point on the Mynydd Bach Trecastle ridge, at around 400m AOD. The camps comprise almost rectangular earthworks with rounded corners. The outer camp measures approximately 420m NNE/SSW by 360m NNW/SSE, enclosing an area of around 15ha. The defences consist of an earthen bank, 4m wide and up to 0.8m high, in front of which traces of a ditch, 0.4m deep, can be seen. Three claviculae are visible, one on the SW side, one on the NW side and one on the NE side. These inturned entrances are around 10m wide and 10m deep. The SW side of the enclosure has been destroyed by later quarrying. The earthwork of the inner camp enclosure partly overlies the outer enclosure defences on the SE side, demonstrating that it post-dates the outer camp. The inner camp is smaller and was built on a slightly different alignment to the outer camp. It measures 327m NE/SW by 292m NW/SE and encloses an area of 9.8ha. The defences comprise an earthwork bank, 4.6m wide and up to 0.9m high, with an outer ditch and a counterscarp bank. Three claviculae are visible, one on each of the SW, NW and NE sides, the entrances being around 8m wide and 10m deep. Much of the SE side of the enclosure has been destroyed by later quarrying, although the eastern corner can be identified to the east of the quarry scars.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of Roman military organisation. The monument forms an important element within the wider context of the Roman occupation of Wales and the structure itself may be expected to contain archaeological information in regard to chronology, building techniques and functional detail.

The scheduled are comprises the remains described and an area around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. It is rectangular and measures c. 530m from SE to NW by up to 480m from NE to SW.