Hirfynydd Roman Earthwork

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

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

The monument comprises the remains of a signal station dating to the Roman period (AD74 - AD410). The signal station sits at 451m above OD on a broad mountain ridge with a superb outlook in all directions, extending as far as the Preseli Mountains in Pembrokeshire. The station stands on the line of the Roman road over Hirfynydd and consists of an approximately square earthwork measuring (between the crests of the rampart) 19.5m from north-west to south-east by 18.3m. The defences comprise a low, spread bank 1.8m-3.7m wide, with rounded corners and an external ditch. Internally, the bank is nowhere more than 0.3m high; externally it is 0.3m high along the south-east and south-west sides, 0.6m along the other two sides, and 0.9m at the west angle. The single entrance lay at the middle of the south-east side, facing the road. The ditch is 2.7-3.1m wide and at the entrance is interrupted by a causeway about 3.7m wide. There are no signs of any internal structures. A deep trench to the north of the site appears to be a quarry hollow.

The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of the Roman conquest of Wales and Roman military life. The monument is an important relic of a Roman landscape and retains significant archaeological potential, with a strong probability of the presence of both intact deposits, together with environmental and structural evidence. Signal stations may be part of a larger cluster of monuments and their importance can be further enhanced by their group value.

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