Rectangular Earthworks 530m SSW of Heol-Ddu-Uchaf

Summary description and reason for designation

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

The monument comprises the remains of two Roman marching camps, probably dating from the conquest of Wales by the Romans in the first century AD (probably around AD 74 - 78). It was built as a temporary camp by a marching army as units of the Roman legions pushed west.

The earthworks, situated on the top of a hill, consists of two rectangular enclosures, the one to the west much more complete than the other. The westerly one is a small rectangular enclosure measuring 28m by 25m consisting of a bank 3-4m wide by 1m high (lower on the east side - c. 0.5m), with a shallow external ditch, 1m wide. On the west side is an entrance 2m wide with an in-curving bank. The interior is flat and featureless. A few metres to the east is a similar earthwork but most of the bank is barely visible, on in the north-west corner is the bank at all prominent.

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 area comprises the remains described and areas around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.