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Cothi Roman Aqueduct is a Roman water-conveyance structure located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference CM213. Constructed to serve Roman settlements and facilities, the aqueduct represents the engineering expertise characteristic of Roman provincial infrastructure during the occupation of Britain. The monument sits upon bedrock comprising Llandovery Rocks, a sequence of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone formed during the Llandovery period, which would have presented specific challenges for the construction and maintenance of the water channel.
The aqueduct's course across this varied geology required careful surveying and construction to maintain the precise gradient necessary for gravitational water flow. The underlying Llandovery strata, composed of alternating bands of fine-grained sediments, would have influenced the engineers' choice of route and construction methods. Such aqueducts were essential infrastructure in Roman Britain, transporting water from upland sources to settlements, industrial facilities and military installations across considerable distances.
The survival of the Cothi Roman Aqueduct provides evidence of Roman hydraulic engineering in Wales and contributes to understanding the development of infrastructure and settlement patterns in the Roman province. The monument's preservation allows examination of construction techniques adapted to local geological and topographical conditions, demonstrating how Roman engineers solved practical problems posed by the Welsh landscape.
Cothi Roman Aqueduct is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CM213. View the official record →
Cothi Roman Aqueduct is a Roman water-conveyance structure located in Wales and protected by Cadw under reference CM213.
Cothi Roman Aqueduct dates from the roman period, and is classified as a aqueduct. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Cothi Roman Aqueduct 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 CM213.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Dolaucothi Roman Aqueduct (3.3 km), Dolaucothi Mound (3.5 km), Dolaucothi Gold Mines (3.5 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Cothi Roman Aqueduct'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.
Cothi Roman Aqueduct stands on Llandovery Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Llandovery. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.