A Very Steep Terraced Section Looking Toward Anglesey & Aber Falls

© Kanovium Project

Looking back west down the ancient road you cannot fail to be impressed by a road in such a location, the figure adds scale, the midday sun is hidden behind the northern flank of Drum Mountain, these slopes rarely recieve sunlight and this adds a slightly miserable air to the photos.  We are about two miles now from the start of this description of the Roman road, which is in the far distance beyond the low hill beyond the distant trackway.

This is a strange photo it reminds me of 19th century images of USA’s gold rush, though it is now forgotten by modern North Wales’ occupants, who now despite the two bridges over the River Conwy are now able to travel beneath the river in a tunnel constructed during the early 1990’s, taking a coastal route west feared by the Romans and Telford alike.  But we must try to imagine this road teeming with movement, from Bronze age peoples, Roman foot and cavalry patrols, Medieval pilgrims and merchants and even early 19th century travellers, who even at such a late date preferred this rugged climb rather than deal with the ferry at Conwy, reputedly operated by drunken cut-throats.  While cattle drovers of this time would have had no option but to use the road  Maybe it still saw use in the early 20th century, forgotten now other than by the mountain walker aiming for the higher peaks, or off road vehicles, which including farm vehicles have badly damaged the road’s running surface.  Certainly not the scene of Roman supply columns, no large carts could surely have negotiated such gradients, ships definitely being preferred, docks at Kanovium and Segontium proving the point, even actual foot patrols here would have to have been lightly equipped, but the march to Segontium could have been quickly accomplished once this central sector of the road had been covered.

 The Menia Strait and Southern Anglesey can be seen in the far  distance, and the road initially follows this low lying coastline area, then being forced to climb up from the coast at Aber to avoid the granite headlands of Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr  Once completing this steep section and rounding the ridge the traveller would see the milestones in the far distance.  The second highest point of the road, treacherous in the winter months.  In this authors opinion the trek from the western fort at Caernarvon to Caerhun, would have been easily accomplished on a winters day, during summer, they could even have nearly returned, but it would have been a good hike.  It certainly would have been fairly arduous wearing full Roman military kit, which would have weighed in at about 60 lbs, not including a spear and shield.  Possibly this explains why so many of North Wales’ forts contained cavalry elements (cohors equitata) but it would have taken a stocky horse to tackle such steep sections of road, as most are in North West Wales.