Roman Villa Found in Welsh \'military zone\'

[Lindsay_Powell]

The Daily Telegraph carries a report that a Roman villa has been found in Welsh 'military zone': http://bit.ly/b8x5PR

Key facts so far:
Provenance: Abermagwr near Aberystwyth.
Description: "It was roofed with local slates, which were cut for a pentagonal roof. The walls were built of local stone and there was a cobbled yard."
Significance: the first time evidence has been found "of Roman occupation of North and mid Wales" (I think the reporter means non-military related Roman habitation - there are several military installations in the region - e.g "the nearby Trawscoed Roman fort, which had been abandoned by AD 130".)
Date: early 3rd-4th Century AD.

As a Welshman it makes me proud :-) )

[mcbishop]

It was thought that Wales was a "military zone", abandoned by the Romans a few decades after the first century.

And they call England the Lost Lands?! Looks like a journo not reading the press release too carefully ;-) ) Up here in the 'military zone' of northern England, the Tees valley is proving to have more than its fair share of villas (I know of at least two others beside Ingleby Barwick, one - Holme House - only 1km from Piercebridge fort), so surely time to abandon old-fashioned notions of civil and military zones, not least as the civil area of the rest of Britain is lousy with military equipment?

Mike Bishop

[PhilusEstilius]

Mike.

It's very true about military and civil being intertwined for up here in the very much military zone of the north I am indeed aware of two Roman Villas in the Tyne Valley.