1. Cropmarks of a double-ditched concentric circular enclosure measuring approximately 110m diameter, lie less than 200m from the eroding coast edge. The outer ditch of the enclosure is narrow, while the inner ditch is broad and slightly irregular in construction. The entrance faces NNW and is defined by a widening and slight inturning of the ditch terminals. There is considerable pitting in the vicinity.

Aerial reconnaissance on 6th July 2018 during the 2018 drought recorded a rectangular, segmented stone building within the northern side of the enclosure, partly built over the (presumably defunct or partly-infilled) enclosure ditch. A more narrow ditch leading in from the NE ditch terminal may be a later modification to enclose the villa building. While records suggest the existence of a chapel hereabouts (NPRN 309299), Roman villas were often recorded as 'chapels' by antiquaries or in place-names due to finds of undated stone walls. The character of the building's footprint, although lacking wings, together with the modification of the enclosure, suggests this prehistoric settlement may have been re-used as the site of a Roman villa in the style of Whitton Lodge.

T. Driver, RCAHMW, 24th July 2018

2. Information from GGAT - PRN 00763s

A Roman villa site within a circular ditched enclosure, probably of more than one phase, situated on open ground near to and above the seaward end of Cwm Nash. The site is on improved pasture, and was first recognised in 1976 when a concentration of building debris, including mortar traces, tufa, ceramic tile and Pennant sandstone slates, was identified after ploughing together with Roman and Iron Age pottery. Metal detectorists have since found Roman copper alloy objects and 4th century coins.

Air photographs taken by RCAHMW in June 1996 (Plate 1) show the west side of a curvilinear enclosure in the field immediately west of the site (this is a single field, not the two fields shown on the map); it obviously continues into the field in which the site is situated, but is just not showing because of crop conditions). A series of other dark cropmarks are probably not archaeological in origin: they include a pair of parallel ditches which appear to continue the line of the track from the S, and a series of dark streaks which are probably geological.

The field visit took place on 13th October 1999. The site was visible on the ground in the triangular field as slight earthworks in October 1999. An east-west bank may continue the line of the south portion of the ditch, but it does not continue into neighbouring field. It appeared to be associated with a line of stones visible to the farmer as a parch mark in the summer of 1999, more or less on the line of the bank. A block of worked tufa noted beside the track.

Geophysical survey:
An area of 70x100m was surveyed using both resistivity and magnetometry. The results are summarised here and are presented in full in the attached report prepared by Stratascan (Baker and Mercer 1999).

The building shows as a series of high-resistance anomalies (R5) outlining a rectilinear area measuring 16m wide and 30m long, though since it appears to be open-ended at the south end, it may have continued further in this direction. The incompleteness of the outline may be caused by stone robbing. The outline at the east side is irregular, and probably represents a series of small rooms. A series of discrete high-resistance anomalies surrounding the main building outline are not easily interpreted, though the shape and position of the rectangular anomaly in the southwest corner does suggest that there may be a solid floor here. The high-resistance anomalies are surrounded by areas of positive magnetic anomaly, which probably indicate spreads of building debris with high magnetic potential, such as tile.

The ditches are much more complex than they appear on the air photograph. There is a large curvilinear double-ditched enclosure, presumably the same as that appearing on the air photograph on the other side of the track, though there is some difficulty in lining them up. The positive magnetic anomalies which define this enclosure (M2) are associated with smaller negative anomalies, possibly representing the associated banks. A series of large positive east-west anomalies (M3) may indicate that the main enclosure was subdivided. In the southeast of the survey area, a network of smaller positive magnetic anomalies (M1) and low-resistance anomalies (R1) seem to represent a complex of ditched features, probably a field system.

The general appearance of the site suggests that the site began in the Iron Age, when it was surrounded by roughly circular defences consisting of a large inner ditch and small outer ditch, associated with banks. Since the banks and ditches have now been ploughed almost flat, it is not clear whether the enclosure would have been seriously fortified (the site is not naturally defensible), or whether it was connected more with the demarcation of the settlement and stock control. It is also not clear whether the east-west ditch system represents a division of the enclosure when the outer ditch was fully operational, or whether it represents the refortification of a smaller area at a different time. Roman occupation of the site is represented by a substantial stone building, or buildings; the areas of high resistivity and high magnetic anomaly not immediately associated with the identified building may represent another building, not necessarily of the same period. There is no clear indication as to whether the field system is associated with the settlement site, though enclosures of this type (paddocks rather than fields proper) are associated with the Roman settlement on Dinas Powis Common.

A mid 2nd century coin hoard discovered by metal detectorists in the same field close to the area of the geophysical survey (see below) was reported to NMGW under the Treasure Act in December 2000. A small excavation by E Chapman and E Besly of NMGW established the position of the pot which had contained the hoard and was able to determine that it had been cut into the subsoil (ex inf E Besly). The hoard has not yet been fully studied.