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Knap Roman Site is a Roman villa located in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference GM419. The site sits upon bedrock of the Lias Group, a geological formation dating to the Aalenian period, comprising mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone. This varied underlying geology would have influenced both the construction techniques available to Roman builders and the character of the surrounding landscape.
Roman villas of this type typically served as the focal points of agricultural estates during the Roman occupation of Britain. Such establishments combined residential quarters for the landowner with working facilities for the estate's operations, reflecting the integration of domestic comfort with economic productivity that characterised Romano-British rural life.
The presence of this villa in Wales demonstrates the extent of Roman settlement beyond the military installations and major towns. Villas of this period, usually dating from the 1st to 4th centuries AD, were concentrated in the more economically developed lowland regions where the lighter soils and established field systems facilitated profitable farming. The specific location and geology of Knap would have made it a practical choice for such an estate in the Welsh landscape.
Knap Roman Site is a scheduled monument protected by Cadw under reference GM419. View the official record →
Knap Roman Site is a Roman villa located in Wales, protected by Cadw under reference GM419.
Knap Roman Site dates from the roman period, and is classified as a villa. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Knap Roman Site 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 GM419.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Barry Castle (0.7 km), Westward Corner Round Barrow (0.8 km), Site of Medieval Mill & Mill Leat Cliffwood (1.1 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 13 strands of Knap Roman Site'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.
Knap Roman Site stands on Lias Group, bedrock that formed in the Aalenian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone, limestone and sandstone.