At Uskmouth. Easy enough to imagine two skin-clad fishermen making their way across the flats, with an excited child on their first fishing trip chattering and trotting alongside.
Images
Intertidal mudflats at Uskmouth, where the three footprint trails (and antler mattock) were found.
Mudflats at Magor Pill. A trail of footprints left by a Mesolithic fisherman is out there, under the lapping tidal waters of the Severn/Hafren.
Articles
Two of the most imagination-firing sites in Wales, although you can’t see anything.
The Severn/Hafren shoreline on the Gwent Levels has revealed evidence of Mesolithic seasonal visits. Although the shoreline itself largely follows the line it took 6,000 years ago, the land behind the flood defences was reclaimed from the floodplains initially by the Romans, so would not have been as dry as it is now.
At two sites, Magor Pill and Uskmouth, high tides in the 1990s revealed two sites that bring home the human story of this area vividly.
At Uskmouth (ST3482) three trails of footprints were found preserved in the intertidal mud. Two trails 10 metres apart run in parallel for 25 metres and are the footprints of adult men. The third trail is that of a child. From the prints the height and walking speed of the makers can be determined. A perforated antler mattock was found 370m SE of the footprints, at the same level.
At Magor Pill (ST4484), less than 10 miles up the coast, a single trail of footprints was uncovered 90m south of the present shoreline. The prints were larger and suggest a man with size 12 feet, standing just under 2m tall.
[Information all taken from “Prehistoric Sites of Monmouthshire” by George Children and George Nash (Logaston Press 1996).]
Includes a lovely photograph of the Uskmouth footprints (double-click the photo to enlarge).
Sites within 20km of Gwent Levels
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Goldcliff
photo 2 description 3 -
Wilcrick Hill
photo 10 description 2 -
Stock Wood
description 3 -
Llanfihangel Rogiet
photo 7 description 5 link 1 -
Langstone
description 4 -
Carrow Hill
photo 6 description 1 -
Coed-y-Caerau
description 1 -
Walton Common
photo 1 -
Five Lanes (Caerwent)
photo 1 description 2 -
Castell Prin
description 2 -
Llanvair-Discoed
photo 4 forum 1 description 3 -
Crick Barrow
description 2 link 1 -
Cadbury Camp (Nailsea)
photo 4 description 3 -
Sudbrook
photo 30 description 4 -
Lodge Wood Camp
photo 29 description 6 link 1 -
Llanmelin Wood
photo 23 forum 1 description 4 link 1 -
Gray Hill
photo 66 forum 7 description 6 link 2 -
Tredegar Fort
photo 20 description 5 link 1 -
Foresters Oaks Round Barrow
photo 11 forum 1 description 2 -
Cae Camp
description 2 -
Wentwood Barrows
photo 28 forum 4 description 3 -
Heston Brake
photo 28 description 8 link 2 -
Portbury
photo 2 description 4 -
Gwern-y-Cleppa
photo 9 description 7 link 1 -
Candwr Camp
description 1 -
Coed y Defaid
description 1 link 1 -
Llangybi Bottom
description 2 -
Willis Hill
photo 3 description 3 -
The Mount
description 2 -
Rhiwderin
photo 3 description 3 -
Gaer Llwyd
photo 21 description 9 link 1 -
Druidstone
description 4 -
Kings Weston Hill Barrows
photo 3 description 1 -
Kings Weston Hill
photo 14 forum 1 description 1 -
Blaise Castle
photo 12 forum 1 description 1 -
Wenallt
description 1 -
Thornwell
photo 15 forum 2 description 5 -
Great Barnets Wood
photo 1 forum 1 description 2 -
Gaer-fawr (Usk)
description 1 -
Bulwarks Camp (Chepstow)
photo 8 description 2 -
Twyn Pant-Teg
photo 5 description 3 -
Druid Stoke
photo 9 forum 1 description 6 -
Chepstow Park Wood
description 1 -
Cleeve Toot
photo 4 description 1 -
King Offa’s Tomb
photo 1 description 2 -
Cadbury Hill (Congresbury)
photo 3 description 2 -
Mynydd Henllys
photo 28 description 2 -
Sand Point
photo 4 description 2 -
Craig Ruperra
description 1 -
Stokeleigh Camp
photo 35 forum 1 description 4 -
Badock’s Wood
photo 8 forum 1 description 3 link 1 -
Seven Sisters
photo 6 description 4 -
Twmbarlwm
photo 37 forum 1 description 7 link 1 -
Ashton Court
photo 7 -
Clifton Down Camp
photo 26 link 1 -
Burgh Walls
photo 1 description 2 -
Piercefield Camp
photo 22 description 3 -
Mynydd Machen
photo 10 description 3 -
Gaer Hill
photo 22 description 3 link 1 -
Redland Park
photo 4 description 1 link 1 -
Castle Field Camp
description 1 -
Almondsbury Fort
photo 1 description 3 -
Red Hill (Elberton)
photo 1 description 2