Cwmbrwyn Roman villa is a subrectangular banked and ditched enclosure, about 40m north-south by 30m, set at the crest of east-facing slopes.

An excavation in 1905-6 (Ward 1907), revealed a stone-built, or founded north-south range, incorporating a bathing suite, occupying the western side of the enclosure, producing 2nd and early 4th AD century finds.

The enclosure, which features a distinctive 'romanised' gateway, is best seen as being contemporary with the villa range, its circuit being cut back only for an addition to this range: the villa itself would appear to have comprised a suite of reception rooms in addition to the bathsuite and rather than classifying it as a 'romanised farmstead', it is worth considering the specific modes of performance implied in its form and in the facilities it offers.

Without the enclosure, on the east and south-east, traces of a land-division system have been claimed (Jones 1971, 7 plate IIa; Nprn309643); a Roman cremation deposit is known from the farmyard at Cwmbrwyn, some 200m to the east (Jones 1961, 126).

Sources: Ward 1907 (AC 7), 175-212;
Jones 1961 (Carm. Ant. 3), 125-37;
Jones 1971 (Carm. Ant. 7), 3-40.

J.Wiles 10.12.03