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Dolaucothi Roman Aqueduct is a Roman water-supply system in Wales, protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument. Built to serve the extensive gold-mining operations in the Dolaucothi area, the aqueduct represents a sophisticated engineering achievement of the Roman occupation. The structure was constructed to carry water across the local landscape, utilising gravity flow typical of Roman hydraulic design, with the channel engineered to maintain a consistent gentle gradient necessary for reliable water delivery.
The aqueduct sits upon Ashgill Rocks, a bedrock formation of mudstone, siltstone and sandstone that was laid down during the Ashgill period of the Ordovician era. This geology would have presented both challenges and advantages for the Roman engineers; the relatively soft sedimentary rocks could be quarried for construction materials, whilst the underlying stone provided a stable foundation for the water channel. The monument stands as evidence of Roman investment in extracting the region's mineral wealth, requiring substantial infrastructure to maintain the mining enterprise.
Today the remains of Dolaucothi Roman Aqueduct survive as a testament to Roman engineering capability in a remote frontier region of their empire. The site continues to inform our understanding of how the Romans developed natural resources in Wales, and the logistics required to support large-scale industrial operations far from the Mediterranean heartland.
Dolaucothi Roman Aqueduct is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference CM200. View the official record →
Dolaucothi Roman Aqueduct is a Roman water-supply system in Wales, protected by Cadw as a scheduled monument. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Cadw under reference CM200.
Dolaucothi 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.
Dolaucothi 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 CM200.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Dolaucothi Gold Mines (0.3 km), Dolaucothi Mound (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 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.
Dolaucothi Roman Aqueduct stands on Ashgill Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Ashgill. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.