Supposed Roman Fort at Discoed, Powys

Abstract

Supposed Roman Fort at Discoed, Powys. Jenny Britnell writes: The identification of a Roman auxiliary fort at Maes-Treylow Farm, Discoed in Radnorshire (SO 268653) was reported by Professor St. Joseph in 1969;13 a description by the same author was included in The Roman Frontier in Wales,14 and there are several excellent aerial photographs of the earthworks in the collections of the Cambridge University Committee for Aerial Photography.15 During 1978 an application was made for the construction of a silage pit alongside the existing farm buildings within the area scheduled in 1976 as a Roman fort. Surface examination of the earthworks in late 1978 had thrown doubt on their interpretation as the remains of a fort, and it was thought prudent to put it to the test in an exploratory cutting across the best-marked length of the eastern 'bank and ditch' before committing comparatively large sums of money to the excavation of the area affected by the proposed building-works. The trial work was carried out by a small team, at some speed and in intermittently severe weather conditions, during February 1979. No evidence was recovered for the existence of Roman defences, and plans for more extensive excavations in advance of building operations were therefore cancelled. In his notes in The Roman Frontier in Wales Professor St. Joseph described the earthwork remains of the suspected fort as comprising 'a low mound reduced by former ploughing which defines much of the north and the whole of the east sides of a rectangular enclosure'. The likely line of a south rampart was thought to be obscured by an open leat, while a roadside hedge 'stands, in all probability, just outside the rampart-line'; 'westwards a road (B4357), a house and farm buildings have effectively obscured all surface remains'. Within these bounds lies the area now scheduled as a fort (fields A and B in FIG. I, plan). St. Joseph mentions, too, a slight depression about mid-way along the east rampart which, he thought, might indicate an entrance. Cambridge University photograph BPG 72 (PL. XVIIIB) shows the earthworks particularly well: further banks can be seen to the north and east of the possible fort, as can the remains of west-east ridgeand-furrow ploughing within its southern half. In only one case does a ridge cross the 'fort' bank, at the east side of field B where a pronounced ridge appears to turn through a right-angle. This side of field B is itself linked to one of the west-east ridges. Examination on the ground reveals slighter remains of more ridge-and-furrow running north-south, but not showing on the aerial photograph, within field A. Thus the area of the supposed Roman fort seems really to be a conflation of at least two smaller enclosures, each with its own northern and eastern boundaries and rounded north-east corner surviving as earthworks.