Cof Cymru: National Historic Assets of Wales · Wales
Three Roman Camps (revealed by aerial photography) NE of Walton
Old Radnor, Powys, Wales
The record
- Designation
- Scheduled monument
- Site type
- Marching Camp
- Period
- Roman
- Community
- Old Radnor
- Unitary authority
- Powys
- Country
- Wales
- Coordinates (centre of the scheduled area)
- 52.23212, -3.09460
- SAM number
- RD138
- Cadw record number
- 2608
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
Shown on 5 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1608 "(13) Cambriae Typus." (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Cadw's description
Summary description and reason for designation
The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.
The monument comprises the remains of three Roman marching or temporary camps, probably dating from the conquest of Wales by the Romans in the first century AD (probably around AD 74-77). They were built as temporary camps by a marching army as units of the Roman legions pushed west. The three camps, known also as the Walton camps, were identified from aerial photography in 1967, and little is visible at ground level. They lie close together on an east-north-east to west-south-west alignment on relatively level ground within the Walton Basin, along the line of the modern A44, which cuts across Camps A and B and clips the south-west corner of Camp C. The area is rich in archaeological traces and crop-marks of other, mainly earlier, periods, and some of these lie in and around the camps. Camp A, the most westerly of the three, measures c.171m north-north-west to south-south-east by c.145m, enclosing c.2.5ha. A number of entrances have been identified, suggesting overall that the camp was intended to face north-north-west. Camp B, the middle one of the three, measures c.192m east-north-east to west-south-west by c.163m, enclosing c.3.1ha. Several entrances have been identified, and the camp appears to face east-north-east. Camp C, the easternmost of the group, is crossed north-south by the modern B4357, as well as being clipped by the A44. Most of the circuit has been identified but the south-west corner and much of the south-south-east side is lost under Walton village. The camp measures c.168m west-south-west to east-south-east by c.121m, enclosing c.2ha. Some entrances have been identified and the site, like Camp B, appears to face east-north-east.
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.
Nearby in the register
- Walton CourtDomesticunder 1 mi
- Lower HouseDomesticunder 1 mi
- Stockwell Farmhouse, including attached Ranges to SouthDomesticunder 1 mi
- Castle NimbleMotte and Baileyunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.