Llandovery Roman Site

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Ancient Monument.

The monument comprises two overlapping Roman forts at Llandovery. The monument survives as buried features, except for part of the defensive circuit of the later fort on the W and N sides, which is marked by a significant break in slope. The later fort is rectangular in shape and masks much of the earlier fort. It measures c. 160m SW-NE by c.120m transversely. The primary Roman fort network was designed and constructed by the Roman army for the purpose of military conquest and garrison and dates from the Flavian-Trajanic period (AD 74 to 117).

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of Roman military organisation. The monument is an important element of the Roman occupation of Wales and the structures have been demonstrated, through excavation and geophysical survey, to contain well preserved archaeological evidence concerning chronology, stratigraphy, layout and building techniques.

The area scheduled comprises the remains described and an area around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. It is polygonal in shape and measures 370m NE-SW by 80m transversely.