Royal Commission aerial reconnaissance on 22nd July 2013 discovered cropmarks of a Roman marching camp situated on a low ridge at Killcrow Hill, c.2.7km east of Caerwent Roman town. The camp measures 113m SW/NE by 87m NW/SE and encloses 0.98ha. making it the smallest camp in Wales and the Marches with an approximate holding capacity of 5-700 men. It has well defined simple gateways on the north side (7m wide) and west side (6m wide) but entrance gaps, if they exist, on the south and east sides are obscured by a lack of clarity in the cropmark and by darker patches of deeper soil on the east side.

It probably dates to the earliest Roman campaigns in the region, between AD 48 and AD 60/61, of which some of the earliest in south-east Wales against the Silures tribe date to AD 49-50. These campaigns are well documented by Tacitus, but so far the archaeological evidence has not kept pace with the historical narrative. In Jeffrey L. Davies' opinion the southerly position of this camp some 2.5kms from the shores of the Severn Estuary make it possible that the Romans crossed this waterway from the south-east during these particular campaigns.

Killcrow Hill is currently only the second Roman camp to be discovered in the county of Gwent, the first being at Llancayo north-west of Usk (NPRN 409178) which is conversely the fourth largest to be discovered in Wales and the Marches.

See aerial photograph frames AP_2013_4307-4325

T. Driver, RCAHMW, 2013.