The Roman military settlement at Caer Llugwy lies in a loop of the Afon Llugwy on the presumed line of the Roman road between Caerhun and Tomen-y-Mur. Remains were first recognised in the mid seventeenth century by Edward Lhuyd when 'brickwork' structures were noted. These structures are still visible but the main defences are only recognisable as a ploughed out roughly square earthwork enclosure. Excavations in 1920-2 (Hall 1923) revealed details of the plan and phasing, but there was little further investigation until a geophysical survey in 2000 (Hopewell 2005, 237-42).

An auxiliary fort of roughly 2.4ha was established around 90 AD superceded by a smaller fort of about 1.4ha constructed over its eastern part, the western area probably being retained as a 0.8ha annex. This may have occurred as late as AD 120. Ruins survive of a large courtyard building in the annex, where early visitors remarked on stone hypocaust pillars. The fort was probably garrisoned into the middle years of the second century and some form of occupation may have continued into the fourth century (Simpson 1962, 137-41).

Sources: Hall 'Caer Llugwy' (1923)
RCAHMW Caernarvonshire Iventory I (1956), 193
Simpson '... the Roman Forts in Wales in the Second Century AD' in Archaeologia Cambrensis 111 (1962), 103-166
Jarrett 'The Roman Frontier in Wales' 2nd edition (1969), 51-4
Hopewell 'Roman Fort Environs in North-west Wales' in Britannia 36 (2005), 225-69

Associated with:
Roman Road from Caerhun to Tomen-y-Mur (NPRN 303519).

John Wiles 30.03.07