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Dolaucothi Mound is a Roman earthwork in Wales, protected as a scheduled ancient monument under Cadw reference CM167. The mound rises from bedrock of Llandovery rocks, a sequence of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone deposits formed during the Llandovery period. This geological foundation of relatively soft sedimentary strata would have required careful construction to create a stable base for the Roman structure.
The mound represents Roman military or administrative activity in Wales, a region where Rome maintained a strategic presence following the invasion of Britain. Dolaucothi's location and form suggest it served as a fortification, signal station, or supply depot, though its precise function reflects the broader pattern of Roman occupation across the Welsh landscape. The soft underlying bedrock would have influenced construction techniques employed by Roman engineers working in this locality.
Today, the mound survives as an earthwork testament to Roman Britain's reach into Wales. Its preservation under Cadw protection ensures this monument remains available for study and public access, allowing visitors to appreciate the physical legacy of Roman settlement in this part of Britain and to observe how Roman builders adapted their engineering practices to local geological conditions.
Dolaucothi Mound is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CM167. View the official record →
Dolaucothi Mound is a Roman earthwork in Wales, protected as a scheduled ancient monument under Cadw reference CM167.
Dolaucothi Mound dates from the roman period, and is classified as a mound. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Dolaucothi Mound 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 CM167.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Dolaucothi Gold Mines (0.3 km), Dolaucothi Roman Aqueduct (0.4 km), Nant Cilgwyn standing stone (3.3 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Dolaucothi Mound'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.
Dolaucothi Mound stands on Llandovery Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Llandovery. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.