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Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales

Fforest Gwladys Roman practice camp

Gelligaer, Caerphilly, Wales

A scheduled monument in Gelligaer, Caerphilly, recorded as Practice Camp (Roman).

Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1913) covering the location of Fforest Gwladys Roman practice camp, Gelligaer, Caerphilly, with a pin at the register's coordinates
Ordnance Survey six-inch map, 2nd edition (1888–1913), covering this location. Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland. The pin is ours, placed from the register's coordinates.

The record

Designation
Scheduled monument
Site type
Practice Camp
Period
Roman
Community
Gelligaer
Unitary authority
Caerphilly
Country
Wales
Coordinates (centre of the scheduled area)
51.68377, -3.25797
SAM number
GM273
Cadw record number
2893

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

5 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1636 map "Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ..." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).

Historical maps covering this location

  • 1636 · Cornubia : Devonia, Somersetus, Dorcestria, Wiltonia, Glocestria ... (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1637 · The fourth table of England. Cornub. Devonia, Somerset etc. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1895 · Sheet 11. Ordnance Survey of England and Wales. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1906 · 249 Newport (Hills) (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
  • 1913 · Sheet 102. Newport. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

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This record in Cadw's own full report ↗

Cadw's description

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

The monument comprises the remains of a small Roman practice camp, probably dating from the Flavian-Trajanic garrison of Wales, AD 74 - 117. The small fortlet was probably built as troop practice in construction techniques. The monument comprises the surviving upstanding earthworks, a square enclosure measuring roughly 18m in length within a bank spread to about 4m in thickness and up to 0.7m in height. There are slight traces of the external ditch; and there is an entrance in the S side, protected by a clavicula.

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 importance of the site is further enhanced by its chronological and geographical association with several other Roman sites in the vicinity (GM016 and GM164).

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

Nearby in the register

Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.

Designated Historic Asset GIS Data, The Welsh Historic Environment Service (Cadw), 2026-09-07, licensed under the Open Government Licence http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ Cadw, the Welsh Historic Environment Service · Open Government Licence v3.0
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