The site occupies elevated ground at 60m O.D. overlooking the floodplain of the river Usk and the town and the site of the legionary fortress from the east. The site is positioned towards the leading western edge of a low escarpment so as to command an aspect over the Usk valley at this point. Cropmarks show two closely spaced, parallel ditches defining a square enclosure 155m across, enclosing 2.3 has., with neatly rounded corners of what is probably a fort, orientated south-west/north-east.

The cropmarks have been recorded from the air by the Royal Commission since 1989, and particularly clearly in 2005 by private aerial photographer John Sorrell. Although the site has been noted before under `Trostrey?, where its size was calculated as c. 2 ha, the 6th July 2018 aerial views show the south-west portion of the enclosure and the character of the ditches clearly. If the site is indeed that of a fort (and a prehistoric date has also been suggested for it) then it is most likely a precursor to the establishment of the legionary fortress at Usk under Nero and could well represent one of those forts founded in Silurian territory under Ostorius Scapula or his successor Didius Gallus sometime between A.D. 48?57.

Reference:
Mein, A.G. 1992: `Trostrey Court Farm, Trostrey (SO 3610 0435)?, Archaeology in Wales 32, 74

T. Driver, RCAHMW, 2019