St Harmon Roman road

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The following provides a general description of the Scheduled Monument.

The monument comprises the surviving earthworks of the Roman road travelling between the forts at Castell Collen and Caersws. The earthwork of the Roman road is now only visible in parts. The St Harmon stretch survives as an earthwork situated within enclosed rough pasture between SN 9821 7130 in the S and SN 9822 7171 in the N. The earthwork is visible as an agger, or raised embankment, measuring between 5m and 8m in width and up to 0.3m in height, travelling N over enclosed moorland before descending a N-facing slope to reach a fording point, where the route of the earthwork has been broken by the stream. The primary Roman road network was designed and constructed by the Roman army for the purpose of military conquest and rule. Roads were built and used throughout Roman Britain from the mid 1st century AD onwards. In Wales, the majority of the Roman road network dates from the Flavian-Trajanic conquest and garrison (between AD 74 and AD 117).

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 and building techniques. The association of the road with the nearby temporary marching camp and with the fording point (where the earthwork survives to an unusual height in the boggy ground to the N) serves to enhance the importance of the stretch of road.

The area scheduled comprises the remains described and an area around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive. It is linear and measures about 410m from N to S by 15m transversely.