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The Local Towns and Other Places of Historical Interest
Kanovium fort, the Conwy river and the lower slopes of the Carneddau mountain range make for an excellent day out for the historical walker, it is a very complex historical enviroment. The fort area reveals much Roman activity over many acres. A visit to the lower slopes of the Carneddau reveals two prehistoric forts, Pen y Gaer and Caer Bach, the Roman road bound for Segontium, a chambered tomb, and Iron and medieval age farms and field systems. Roman visitors to the area should include the other local Roman sites, Caer Llugwy (private ownership), Segontium (Cadw), and the 1st century early conquest marching camp at Pen y Gwyrd (public footpaths). Pen y Gaer is an excellent hillfort, you cannot fail to be impressed by the numerous ramparts and ditches at the western slope, though silly tales of local Celts keeping an eye on the visible fort of Kanovium are discounted by the fact Willoughby Gardner found no evidence to suggest any occupation during the Roman period. Also Bangor Museum, for some artifacts from Caer Llugwy and other casual finds from the area, including the fine bone handled gladius from Segontium
This map shows the Conwy area of North Wales. Easily reached from the M6 motorway, junction 20, then M56, then the A55, which is the through route from Chester to the port of
Holyhead. Caerhun is named on this map, but as a hamlet between Tal-y-Cafn and Tal-y-Bont, and is composed of a farm and a college, which is Caerhun Hall. The name ‘castell’ which is Welsh for castle has no
connection with the Roman fort, though may represent a continuation of a later powerbase.
The area contains two fairly large towns of around 50.000 people each, Colwyn Bay and Llandudno, which are both Victorian
resorts. Conwy, named after the fort (Conovium) and river is much older, a castle being established here in the late 13th century by Edward 1st, king of the English. Llandudno has the museum holding the relics from
the 1920’s excavation, and was the place archaeologist Baillie Reynolds resided while working at the fort. He only visited every couple of days, leaving his work to a foreman, while he no-doubt enjoyed Llandudno’s charms.
The area west is the Carneddau mountains, the peak centre, Tal-y-Fan can be seen on many images in this website, the Roman road from Kanovium to Segontium crosses the southern flank of it and a section on this important
line of communication can be seen at - Bwlch y Ddeufaen. The the area east is mostly high sheep farms and is the area crossed by the Roman road from Chester. Centre of the map is the Conwy river, which ceases
to be tidal at the fort.
Kanovium is the only Roman site known in the area of this map, or at least it is the only one with any remains. Much Roman material has been found over the whole area. Roman coins
have been found at Colwyn Bay, Rhos on Sea, Penrhyn Bay, Llandudno and Llysfaen. Also British forts near to the coast of Conwy Bay have also provided Roman material. The Great Ormes Head is also significant, possibly being the reason for the forts late occupation, the copper ingot found in the bath building along with one found at Bryn Euryn, Colwyn Bay, obviously arrived from the Great Orme copper mines, no Roman structures have yet been identified, neither have their workings, but coin finds, two large 3rd and 4th century hoards from Penrhyn Bay look like being pay for the workers.
Potential visitors could use any of the larger towns as bases for a tour of the Conwy valley archaeological sites, and equally Betws-y-Coed, and Llanrwst are well sited, Caer Llugwy being several miles from Betws-y-Coed
on the A5 road.
Visitors who want to look that bit further should undoubtedly visit The Isle of Anglesey, the Prehistoric remains need no mention here (other than to say they are first class) but Roman period sites,
though not really common are there to be visited, and finds of Roman material such as iron nails of a definite Roman type at sites such as Bwrdd Arthur point to close control by the garrison of Segontium. You should
definitely visit Bwrdd Arthur with the material which dates from the time of Nero right through to the very end of Roman influence in North Wales. Roman forts though not apparent from the conquest (a 1st century fort is
recently attested at Aberffraw) left a legacy with the ‘Irish Shore’ fortified landing base now contained within the graveyard walls of St Gybi’s Church, Holyhead, and a watchtower near the iron age fort on Holyhead Mountain
traditionally links this most westerly point of Roman Britain with the legionary fortress at Deva (Chester) even though according to the Ravenna Cosmography the army had relinquished control of bases such as this by the end of
the 4th century. Earlier Romano British sites can be seen at Bryn Siencyn, Caer Leb fortified farmstead (CADW) which is 3rd century, and 4th century fortified enclosure of Din Lligwy (Cadw) on the north east coast of the island
at Llanallgo.
The great upland site of Tomen y Mur, which in the author’s opinion is the premier Roman military site to be viewed today in Wales, if not England is, essential material to actually understand what
kind of environmental influence a five acre auxiliary fort had on the landscape of the country that would in a few centuries become Wales.
The earthwork remains at Tomen yr Mur are not easily understood by someone
unfamiliar with Roman fort remains, to view remains such as Hadrian’s Wall, Hardknott, or even Segontium in advance would equip a person with the actual knowledge needed to make any sense of the various humps and bumps in the
pasture. To the expert Tomen y Mur is a gem, a reduced Flavian fort, shortened by a 2nd century rampart which reduces the fort by nearly a third, survives in almost complete form. Kanovium in the comfortable valley
bottom has seen multiple reuse of the land since Roman times, but here, on a high mountain, with little use to arable farming, the fort remains almost as the Roman army left it. Damage has been done by a Norman motte
which straddles the reducing rampart, a cottage occupies an area adjacent to the north east rampart, and the famous tiny amphitheatre is damaged by the modern road, and an old slate mine railway. Viewing - if
travelling south out of Trawsfynydd, before the Nuclear Power Station, drive east beneath an old railway bridge, the fort lies about 2 miles into the low hills, you eventually arrive mid point of the amphitheatre.
The
area to the east of the River Conwy is not so rich in well preserved historical sites, indeed you would have to travel 10 miles north east until you reached another ancient monument. This takes the form of Pen Y Corddyn
Mawr hillfort, one mile south of Llanddulas, A55, this has certain comparable occupation features to Kanovium. Many hillforts of the Clwydian range exhibit evidence of Roman occupation, but there is nothing to see
today. A strange ‘beached whale’ of a Roman site lies within a large housing estate west of Prestatyn on the road to Meliden, this bath-house, though well preserved in a very quaint early 2nd century style, is very
difficult to locate and it is best to enquire at nearby Prestatyn.
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Public Access
The fields in which the remains are located are privately owned and are farmed, though some access is provided by a public footpath which runs from the gate in the church carpark and into the fields north of the church. This path runs across the area of the north vicus, which can be viewed as humps in the pasture, this path runs north to Tal y Cafn bridge passing several Roman features along the way. The church lane, though not directly a right of way, allows vehicular access and parking out side the lychgate, but his can be a problem on days
when the church is in use, and now parking on a Sunday morning is prohibited, as a new sign on the church wall informs. From this lane some features can be viewed, and the
churchyard also allows some views of the rampart, the site of the bath-house and the Conwy river.
If you wish to view the remains properly then it is essential you obtain permission to stray from the footpath, ask for this at Caerhun Farm, this is the large farm on the right side of the B5106 if traveling south just before the church lane. Once you have obtained permission you will be free to explore
the features I list on the former page.
Kanovium fort is now agricultural land so please keep dogs on a lead, please take your litter home with you, and shut all gates. Finally, it is now a legal requirement to report all archaeological finds over 300 years old to your local archaeological unit, in this case Gwynedd Archaeological Trust, so if you do find anything interesting please report it. However G.A.T will certainly not have the time to examine every muddy pot shard or cruddy
Roman coin, so if anyone has any items of interest to this website please contact me at the link below.
Stop Press : During July 2002 It has was
brought to my notice that a potential visitor to the site was denied access on grounds of there being livestock present on the fields. As goodwill must be retained we have to respect the farmer’s wishes.
The Public
Footpath however, is a legal right of way, and people are free to view the remains from this at any time.
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