Coed-y-Caerau

Visited 17.2.18

This month’s YAC meeting involved trying to locate several 17th C boundery stones. The event was run by Mark Lewis (who works for the National Museum of Wales) who gave us a running commentry of all the things of interest during our walk. One of the first things he pointed out is the camp/enclosure at Pen-toppen-ash. This was easily seen from the lane which runs along its southern side. Mark said that although the site was built over by the Romans it is of an Iron Age, possibly Bronza Age origin. Mark added that limited excavation work had taken place at the site which showed that the stone walls are very well preserved beneath the turf. The turf covered ramparts of the Roman site were easy to make out.

COFLEIN states:

Site Description There are three co-joined earthwork enclosures at Coed-y-Caerau, Pen Toppen Ash. They are set along the summit crest of a steep ridge above the left bank of the lower Usk. The south-western enclosure is roughly oval, about 84-94m in diameter, defined by a single bank, with an apparent inturned entrance, having traces of an outer circuit on the south and south-west. The central enclosure is sub-circular, about 74-80m in diameter, defined by what appears to be a partially spiralling bank, within a roughly concentric outer embanked enclosure, that springs from the south-west enclosure circuit, about 136-142m in diameter, counterscarped on the north-west and having inturned entrances on the south-east and north-east.

The north-eastern enclosure is possibly a Roman fortlet, though an Iron Age date seems more likely given its association with the other Iron Age features. It is rectangular, about 96m north-east to south-west by 108m, and defined by a single bank with rounded angles. An outer, roughly concentric circuit, generally 166m square, appears to respect the central enclosure