Gelligaer Roman Fort

CAER RUFEINIG GELLIGAER ROMAN FORT By Richard J Brewer, Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales Plan of the stone fort as revealed by excavations undertaken at Gelligaer between 1899 and 1913. Buildings in the fort: Barracks 1-2 & 12-15 Stores 3, 10 & 11 Workshop and yard 4 Granaries 5 & 8 Commander's house 6 Headquarters 7 Stable 9 The annexe: Bath-house A Bath-house exercise yard B Guard-chamber C Yard D Workshop E Unknown F Cover: Workmen uncovering the hot room of the bath-house during John Ward's excavations in 1909. Gelligaer: The Legacy of Rome The Roman Empire was one of the greatest that the world has ever known. The strength and prestige of the Roman armies have never been forgotten. At its largest, in the 100s A.D., the Roman Empire covered much of Europe, North Africa and the Near East. Britain was a relatively late addition to the Empire, becoming its most north-western province. Gelligaer is part of that history. A Frontier Fort The fort at Gelligaer, of which the but the defences can still be seen as a remains to be seen. Half of the annexe Roman name is lost, occupies a low broad bank, best preserved on the was occupied by the regimental bath- position on a long broad ridge between south-west side, where the ditch is also house, one of the finest known at any the Taff and Rhymney valleys. It visible. Depressions in this bank mark such fort in Wales. Other features that commanded an extensive view of the the sites of the four gateways, of have been uncovered include a parade- countryside, which in Roman times which that on the north-east side is ground on the north-east side of the would have been heavily wooded. It the most pronounced. Three fort and a Roman tile-kiln in what is was one of a line of forts, generally set inscriptions found near the south-east now the churchyard. Roman cremation urns containing burnt bones were on the higher land between the river and north-west gates date the found in 1910, and would seem to valleys, running from Cardiff to Y Gaer construction of the fort to the period (Brecon). The fort (Gelligaer 2), which indicate a cemetery beside the road A.D. 103–11, during the reign of the was constructed in stone, is about 117 leading south-east from the fort. Emperor Trajan. m square, 1.4 hectares in extent. It lies The stone fort was not the first Roman to the north-west of the Parish church Adjoining the fort on the south-east military establishment at Gelligaer. A of St Catwg. No masonry is now visible, was an annexe of which nothing now large rectangular earthwork to the north-west, 2.2 hectares in extent, is an earlier earth and timber fort (Gelligaer 1), probably built at the time of the Roman conquest of Wales in A.D. 74–78. This enclosure is still outlined in parts by a faint bank. To prevent any interference with the site of the fort, it has been listed as a scheduled ancient monument, and is protected by the Ancient Monuments Acts 1979. Location of Roman features at Gelligaer. 1. Earth and timber fort 2. Stone fort 3. Annexe 4. Parade-ground 5. Tile-kiln 6. Cremation burials 1 Exploration of the Site Archaeological interest in the site labourers employed on the site varied enclosure has shown it to be an began in July 1894, when the Cardiff between two and twelve, and they earlier fort. Naturalists’ Society visited the fort. The were supervised by interested members The excavation, in 1913, of the Roman possibility of an excavation was of the Society, working on a weekly tile-kiln, which was found accidentally discussed, but it was not until October rota basis. These supervisors were often during the digging of a grave in the 1899 that a trial exploration began. businessmen who were unable to churchyard, was undertaken by the Rev. Results proved promising and large- devote more than a few hours to the T J Jones, the Rector of Gelligaer. scale excavations were carried out by excavations during their allotted week, the Society for much of 1900 and and this led to much confusion. Very Geophysical survey – that can reveal 1901. The main aim was to recover the few notes were kept, and all the finds buried features without disturbing the plan of the internal buildings and to were mixed together. Despite all this, a ground – and trial excavations were examine the defences of the stone fort. brilliant account of the work was undertaken in 2003–4 immediately to To find the position of the buildings, written by John Ward, who was then the north-east of the earlier fort labourers dug parallel trenches the Curator of the Municipal Museum (Gelligaer 1), but the results were diagonally across the interior of the and Art Gallery in Cardiff. The results largely negative. However, some fort. When they came across a wall, its still provide a textbook example of the evidence of Roman occupation was course could be followed by digging layout of a Roman fort. uncovered and may be associated with along the top of it. Not all the From 1908–13, John Ward undertook extra-mural activity connected with buildings were planned in this manner: excavations of his own outside the the stone fort (Gelligaer 2). some were more extensively examined, defences of the fort. His work revealed in particular the two granaries which Reports on all the early excavations the annexe, parade-ground and the were uncovered completely. The walls have been published in The large rectangular earthwork to the of all these buildings rarely survived to Transactions of the Cardiff Naturalists’ north-west of the fort, which he a greater height than one metre above Society. The finds are in the care of suggested was a temporary camp, used the Roman level, and quite often only Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum to accommodate the soldiers during the foundations remained. Wales and some objects are displayed the construction of the stone fort. in the Winding House, Caerphilly. At this time, excavation techniques However, a more recent excavation were in an early stage of development conducted in 1963 by the late and much of the work was carried out Professor M G Jarrett of Cardiff The excavations on the site of the in a haphazard fashion. The number of University in the south angle of this stone fort in progress, 1900. 2 Roman Wales: Part of the Empire When the Romans invaded Britain in A.D. 43 it is possible that their plans for conquest did not extend much beyond the south-east of England. However, within five years the Roman army was fighting in what is now Wales. At this time, south-east Wales was inhabited by a powerful and warlike tribe, known as the Silures. Their hostility towards the Romans increased when the defeated British leader Caratacus sought refuge among them. Under his leadership they carried out a series of raids into the new province, which opened a chapter of some thirty years’ campaigning in the west of Britain. The fighting was often bitter, even after the capture of Caratacus in A.D. 51. In the following year the Roman army suffered its greatest defeat in Britain, losing a large part of a legion in a battle with the Silures. Despite this setback, the Romans were soon to gain the upper hand, and by the mid-50s they had pushed the frontier forward to the River Usk and in places beyond. Control of the area devolved upon a legionary fortress at Usk and a series of forts creating a frontier stretching from Cardiff to the lower Usk Valley and north into the middle Wye. From bases such as these, the Roman army could mount campaigns into Wales. They did not penetrate the heavily-wooded river valleys, but followed routes over the more lightly-wooded uplands. During these advances the battle-groups would have been accommodated in temporary (marching) camps, each Roman Wales: the military network large enough to contain the whole soon after the conquest in A.D. 74-78. force. The defences of these camps were slight, consisting of a low bank surmounted by a palisade and fronted by a small ditch. Several of these camps have been found in the Glamorgan uplands. 3 By A.D. 60 the Roman army was close in supplying the army in some of the the quicker their military commitment to victory, after the governor Suetonius more remote forts and, furthermore, could be reduced. It is against this Paulinus had carried out successful manpower was limited. The whole background that the Silures were campaigns in both south and north history of the military occupation of granted, under close Roman Wales. But a devastating revolt led by Wales is one, therefore, of reduction in supervision, a form of self-government, Boudicca, queen of the Iceni in Norfolk, the garrisons wherever possible – either probably in the earlier part of the brought the conquest to a temporary by abandoning forts completely or, if second century. Caerwent (Venta halt. The work required in restoring the this were not possible, by introducing Silurum) served as the capital of the province prevented further campaigns smaller units in place of larger ones. Civitas Silurum, and it is here where for over a decade. Although plans for The latter indeed happened at Gelligaer, the tribal council would meet, law the occupation of Wales may have where the smaller stone fort replaced courts could be set up and other been developed over several years, it the large earth and timber fort.

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