CN428

Llwydfaen Roman Site  

 

Interim Protection  

Conwy  

Caerhun  

 

 

Religious, Ritual and Funerary  

Temple  

Roman  

The monument comprises the buried remains of a Roman apsidal building and its contemporary landscape first identified by aerial photography in the dry summer of 2006. The building sits within an enclosure at the edge of a distinctive promontory considered to be a focus for related activity. The promontory is located on the west shore of the Afon Conwy in pasture fields near Tal y Cafn, on low lying ground above the flood plain c. 2.6km NNE of Kanovium Roman Site (CN001) and 1km NE of Bryn Castell (CN092). The form of the apsidal building was investigated in 2008 using remote sensing techniques that revealed a structure aligned NNE-SSW and measuring c.18.5m in length by c.8.5m transversely. Subsequent evaluation excavation revealed that the building was constructed from dressed sandstone blocks and was at least partly roofed in slate. The precise function of the building is unknown although its distinctive shape, its size and its proximity to the Roman fort at Kanvoium, suggest it could be a Roman temple. A large number of artefactual remains from in and around the building have been dated to the first to third centuries AD. The quantity of later third century artefactual material recovered represents a period of intense activity at the site. The presence of black burnished ware pottery also discovered during the excavation is evidence of contemporary domestic activity nearby. The landscape around the building was subject to wider geophysical survey in 2025 to better understand its context and significance. The survey identified a number of clear anomalies including a banked curvilinear enclosure around the apsidal building and former banks and ditches defining a routeway from the floodplain up to the plateau upon which the building sits. In addition, a substantial enclosure ditch was identified running along the contour defining the outer edge of the promontory. Located within this enclosure was an area of strong magnetic anomalies interpreted as the masonry remains of other structures or buildings associated with the putative temple. The enclosed promontory would have provided a secure strategic vantage across the estuary, and this area has been suggested as the likely location for a Roman crossing point. The relationship between Llwydfaen Roman Site and Kanovium (CN001) is unresolved, however the two sites are evidence of significant Roman activity in this part of the Conwy Valley. The scheduled area comprises the remains described and the surrounding area within which related evidence may be expected to survive. The scheduled area comprises an irregular polygon reflecting the 2025 geophysical survey area c.260m NNW-SSE by 230m WSW-ENE centred on NGR 279051, 372624. This monument has been afforded Interim Protection under Section 6 of the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2023. It is an offence to damage this monument and you may be prosecuted. To find out more about Interim Protection, please visit the statutory notices page on the Cadw website. For further information about this monument, or to report any damage please contact Cadw.