Roman BritainLlwyn-y-Brain
Roman Fort · Military

Llwyn-y-Brain

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: 495616589
Site type
Fort
Category
Military
Latitude
52.5220
Longitude
-3.4141
Overview

History & context

Llwyn-y-Brain is a small Roman auxiliary fort located in the upper Severn valley near Caersws in mid-Wales, likely active during the late 1st and early 2nd centuries AD as part of the Flavian-Trajanic military network. It would have housed a detachment of auxiliary troops, probably no more than a quingenary cohort, and functioned as a marching or temporary campaign base rather than a long-term garrison post.

Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →

Significance

Historical significance

The site forms part of the dense system of forts, fortlets and marching camps established to control the Welsh interior following the Roman conquest of the Ordovices under Agricola, lying on or near the road network linking Caersws to the Severn headwaters and onwards toward Pennal and the Wroxeter hinterland.

Archaeology

Archaeological record

Little detailed excavation has been undertaken at Llwyn-y-Brain, with the site known primarily through aerial photography and earthwork survey revealing the characteristic playing-card outline; surface finds and limited trenching have produced modest quantities of Roman military material consistent with short-lived occupation.

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Llwyn-y-Brain?

Llwyn-y-Brain is a small Roman auxiliary fort located in the upper Severn valley near Caersws in mid-Wales, likely active during the late 1st and early 2nd centuries AD as part of the Flavian-Trajanic military network. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a fort site from the Roman period in Britain.

What type of Roman site is Llwyn-y-Brain?

Llwyn-y-Brain is classified as a Roman fort — a military site in the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer. Roman Britain's archaeology encompasses thousands of sites ranging from legionary fortresses and marching camps to villas, temples and towns.

What other Roman sites are near Llwyn-y-Brain?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Caersws (1.3 km), ‘Lavobrinta’? (17.7 km), Brompton Roman fort (20.3 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.

How can I research the history of the area around Llwyn-y-Brain?

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