Rome1st–4th century AD · Frenni Fawr, Pembrokeshire, Wales, United Kingdom
Roman fort found by satellite in Wales may have held 1,000 soldiers
Two late 4th-century coins date from Magnus Maximus's reign, and the finder suspects the remote Pembrokeshire fort is the emperor's camp in a medieval Welsh tale.
In brief 3 key points
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- A Roman fort spotted on satellite images was excavated in Pembrokeshire.
- It may have held up to 1,000 auxiliary soldiers.
- A link to Magnus Maximus rests on a medieval legend.
An archaeologist has identified a previously unknown Roman fort in a remote part of Pembrokeshire, west Wales, near the hill of Frenni Fawr. Excavations there found two Roman coins from the late 4th century AD. They suggest the site may still have been in use late in the Roman period.
Mark Merrony, a fellow at Wolfson College, Oxford, first spotted the fort on satellite images in 2024. He is also editor-in-chief of the archaeology magazine Antiqvvs. Wolfson College announced the find in October after recent excavations, and Merrony described it to Fox News Digital.
He now thinks the fort is larger than he first estimated. He had put its garrison at about 500 men. He now says it is bigger than Housesteads, a fort on Hadrian's Wall that held 1,000 troops. Auxiliaries were Roman army units recruited mostly from non-citizens.
“So it could have held up to 1,000 auxiliary Roman soldiers.”
Mark Merrony, fellow at Wolfson College, Oxford
Tiles, coins and a probable 1st-century start
The excavations also produced ceramic roof tiles and other Roman material. Merrony thinks some pieces could be floor tiles or material used for underfloor heating.
The two coins have drawn attention. Merrony puts more weight on the fort itself, which he thinks was founded in the 1st century AD.
“I think the presence of the site is more important than the coins because it was almost certainly founded in the 1st century.”
Mark Merrony, fellow at Wolfson College, Oxford
The late 4th-century coins suggest activity may have continued into the period when Magnus Maximus ruled Britain, from AD 383 to 388. That timing fits a possible link to the emperor.
A camp from a medieval Welsh tale
The link comes from the Mabinogion, a medieval collection of Welsh tales and legends that also features King Arthur. One story tells how the emperor set up a military camp near Frenni Fawr.
Merrony says he was not looking for that camp. He found the fort while tracing the Roman road network. It lies roughly two miles (about 3 km) from the summit of Frenni Fawr. He found no other known Roman sites nearby, which led him to suspect this could be the camp in the story.
“The question is not whether this is the site. The question is, is the ‘Mabinogion’ correct? And I suspect it is.”
Mark Merrony, fellow at Wolfson College, Oxford
The finds do not show that Maximus ever visited the fort. Merrony believes the legend may preserve the memory of a real event. He thinks it probably spread by word of mouth before it was written down.
He suggests Maximus may have come to the region in response to incursions by Irish groups in the 4th century. Maximus later left Britain for continental Europe.
Merrony also points to a possible Roman road running beside the fort. He thinks it could be part of a major route through Wales that has not been identified before. He says more fieldwork is needed to test this.
An aqueduct that fed the fort has not yet been investigated. More excavations are planned for 2027. The team intends to widen two trenches over two buildings. In one trench they saw what looked like a collapsed building that had toppled from the south towards the north.
Sources (1)
News reportsfrom Wolfson College, Oxford
Edited by Guiseppe Weijermars
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