Channel Archaeology undertook a small excavation in the town’s Castle Car Park for Monmouthshire County Council and Cadw:Welsh Historic Monuments. This involved the removal of a collapsed wall supporting the remains of the southern rampart of the famous Roman fort. This showed that the original timber and clay fort had been burnt down by the Welsh tribe of the Silures after the Roman legions had been withdrawn to fight Boudicca. The most evocative evidence was masses of burnt clay and timber under the replacement rampart.

Click on the image to see an enlarged view.

The rampart of the Roman fort that replaced the one destroyed by the Silures. This is a view of the surviving front of the rampart which still stands to a height of over two metres. It was constructed of turf and soil with a timber front or revetment. The burnt clay (the dark layer at the bottom) contained two bronze coins of Nero. This showed that the rampart in the photo had been rebuilt shortly after AD 67 - 68.

For further information contact Mike Ponsford