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Caersws Roman Fort and Vicus is a Roman vicus in Wales, forming part of a wider military and civilian settlement that developed around the fort. The vicus—the civilian settlement that typically grew beyond fort walls—occupied the landscape here, with this protected section lying in the south-eastern portion of the wider complex. The site sits upon Llandovery Rocks, a bedrock of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formed during the Llandovery period, which would have provided both building material and a foundation for Roman construction.
Roman vici were essential to frontier life, serving as markets, craft centres and homes for traders, craftspeople and soldiers' families. Caersws's vicus would have bustled with activity, with inhabitants taking advantage of the proximity to the fort's garrison and the routes that connected this inland position to wider Roman Britain. The mudstone and sandstone geology provided practical resources for construction and would have shaped settlement patterns and land use.
The site is protected by Cadw, the Welsh heritage monument service, under reference MG243, ensuring the preservation of this significant Romano-British settlement. The surviving archaeological remains reflect the importance of vici as zones where military and civilian life intertwined, offering insight into how Romans and the local population coexisted during the occupation of Wales.
Caersws Roman Fort and Vicus: section in SE part of vicus is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference MG243. View the official record →
Caersws Roman Fort and Vicus is a Roman vicus in Wales, forming part of a wider military and civilian settlement that developed around the fort. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference MG243.
Caersws Roman Fort and Vicus: section in SE part of vicus dates from the roman period, and is classified as a vicus. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Caersws Roman Fort and Vicus: section in SE part of vicus 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 MG243.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Llandinam Hall Enclosure (1.9 km), The Moat Mound & Bailey Castle (1.9 km), Cefn Carnedd Camp (2.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Caersws Roman Fort and Vicus: section in SE part of vicus'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.
Caersws Roman Fort and Vicus: section in SE part of vicus stands on Llandovery Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Llandovery. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.