© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Cadw
Blaen-Cwmbach Camp is a Roman marching camp situated in Wales on bedrock formed from the South Wales Upper Coal Measures. The underlying geology of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone, interspersed with coal and ironstone deposits, reflects the industrial mineral wealth of the South Wales landscape. The camp occupies a position within this carboniferous terrain, protected as a scheduled monument by Cadw under reference GM258.
Roman marching camps were temporary military installations constructed during campaigns of conquest and consolidation. Built to a standardised defensive plan with ditched and ramparted perimeters, they served as overnight or short-term bases for legionary forces on the move. The positioning of Blaen-Cwmbach Camp within the coal-bearing geology of South Wales places it within the region of Roman military operations and infrastructure development during the subjugation of Wales.
The monument survives as earthwork remains visible in the landscape, preserving evidence of Roman military practice and strategy in Britain. Its location and layout contribute to the archaeological understanding of Roman campaigning methods and the conquest and control of the Welsh territories during the Roman occupation period.
Blaen-Cwmbach Camp is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM258. View the official record →
Blaen-Cwmbach Camp is a Roman marching camp situated in Wales on bedrock formed from the South Wales Upper Coal Measures. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference GM258.
Blaen-Cwmbach Camp dates from the roman period, and is classified as a marching camp. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Blaen-Cwmbach Camp is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Cadw — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Wales. The official designation reference is GM258.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cwmafan copper works flue (5.7 km), Craig Ty-Isaf Camp (6.8 km), Cae'r Mynydd Ventilation Furnace and Mine (7 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Blaen-Cwmbach Camp's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Blaen-Cwmbach Camp stands on South Wales Upper Coal Measures Formation, bedrock that formed in the Westphalian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, coal, ironstone and ferricrete.