The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust
Historic Environment Record
 

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Gelligaer, Second Roman Fort

Primary Reference Number (PRN) : 00661m
Trust : Glamorgan Gwent
Community : Gelligaer
Unitary authority : Caerphilly
NGR : ST13419707
Site Type (preferred type first) : Roman Fort
Status : Scheduled Monument

Summary :
Roman auxillary fort, occupied 2nd-4th century. The site now lies in the middle of Gelligaer village, mostly in a field but partly under gardens, houses and a road.

Description :
Second, stone-built Roman fort at Gelligaer. Nearly square in plan, and defended by a V-shaped ditch and an earthen rampart faced with a stone wall. It had four gates, one in the middle of each side, and the gatehouses each had a square tower either side. The headquarters building was in the middle, with the commandant’s house to one side followed by a granary next to the gate . Most of the rest of the area of the fort was occupied by barrack blocks. From the amount of accommodation provided, it appears that the fort was designed for a 500-strong infantry unit. A large annexe was attached to one side of the fort, outside the defences but surrounded by a wall on the other three sides. Most of one half of the annexe is taken up with a well-equipped bath-house (01133m).

Individual elements have been given separate PRNs 01288m – 01305m defences; 01306m – 01313m and 01330m - 01334m internal buildings.

In AD 103-111 a new, smaller, stone fort, within which was a regular plan of stone buildings, was built to the southeast of the Flavian timber for at Gelligaer (PRN 01132w). The earlier fort may have been abandoned for a few years prior to the establishment of this new base, but a break in occupation at Gelligaer has not been proven, and it is quite possible that the stone fort was built as a direct replacement.
The stone fort was occupied for much of the 2nd century, and although the date of its abandonment is not clear, it may be as late as AD 196. A period of abandonment followed, before the site was reoccupied at some stage during the late 3rd or early 4th century. There is scant evidence from this period, but although use of the fort and its extra-mural area at this time is beyond doubt, the character and extent of activity is unclear; the reoccupation may not even have been of a military nature. The date at which the Romans finally abandoned Gelligaer is unknown.
Pearson 2002, 19-22


Sources :
, Archwilio App Submission
Maylan, C.N. & Page, N.A. , 1990 , Helid Colliery, Rhymney. Proposed Open Cast Mining. An Archaeological Assessment ( © GGAT)
Pearson, A , 2002 , Roman roads and vici in Southeast Wales. GGAT report no. 2002/061
Rodger J.W. , 1908 , Exploration of the ''Gaer Fach'' at Gelligaer. , Transactions of Cardiff Naturalist Socierty : XLI : 39
Rodger J.W. , 1911 , Exploration of the Roman Fort and its anenexes at Gelly Gaer, Glamorgan. , Archaeologia Cambrensis : 66 : 158-159
RPS Planning , 2015 , Groesfaen Farm, Deri, Bargoed: Archaeological & Cultural Heritage Statement
Simpson G. , 1963 , Caerleon and the Roman Forts in Wales in the Second Century AD. , Archaeologia Cambrensis : 112 : 13-76
Taylor, B , 2014 , Digital photograph (1); Gelligaer Fort
Ward J. , 1899-1900 , Progress of the Excavations at Gelligaer , Transactions of the Cardiff Naturalist Society : XXXII : 63-65
Ward J. , 1902 , The Roman fort of Gelligaer- in the county of Glamorgan
Ward J. , 1908 , Notes on Roman Remains in the Society's District , Transactions of the Cardiff Naturalist Society : XLI : 41
Ward J. , 1909 , The Roman Fort at Gelligaer: The Baths , Transactions of the Cardiff Naturalist Society : XLII : 25
Ward J. , 1911 , The Roman Fort at Gelligaer: The Annex , Transactions of the Cardiff Naturalist Society : XLIV : 65-91
Ward J. , 1913 , The Roman Fort at Gelligaer. Discoveries made in 1913. , Transactions of the Cardiff Naturalist Society : XLVI : 1-21
Ward, J , The Roman fort at Gellygaer
Wilkins C. , 1900 , Gelligaer , Archaeologica Cambrensis : 55 : 70-73
Wilkins C. , 1901 , Excursions of General meeting of August 1901 of Cambrian Archaeological Association , Archaeologia Cambrensis : 56 : 56-74
03/PM Excav Report///1903/Trans Cardiff Natur Soc/Vol35;
01/MM Record Card/OS//1956/ST 19 NW 11/;
02/PM List/RCAHM//1976/Glam Invent/Vol2 No737;
04/PM Excav Report///1909/Trans Cardiff Natur Soc/Vol44;
Monument of Wales/p34;
08/PM Desc Text//Savoury HN/1973/An illustrated Guide to the Ancient
07/MM Photo/GGAT/Lewis W/1980//;
09/PM Desc Text/RISW//1900/Archaeol Cambrensis/Vol17 5thSer No65 p55
05/PM Excav Report///1913/Trans Cardiff Natur Soc/Vol46;
06/PM Desc Text//Simpson G/1963/Archaeol Cambrensis/Vol112 pp49-66;

Events :
E003395 : Gelligaer Roman Fort, Gelligaer, Caerphilly (year : 2011)
E003866 : Helid Colliery, Rhymney. Proposed Open Cast Mining (year : 1990)
E007782 : Land Northwest of Groes-faen Farm (year : 2015)
E007860 : Castell Llwyd Farm, Heol Las, Llanfabon, Caerphilly (year : 2015)

Related records

Compiled date : 01-10-1977


Images :



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