Caersws Basin

Topographically, the Caersws Basin presents a striking natural arena in the centre of Mid Wales. The apparently enclosed but wide basin floor is essentially flat, rising only 20m in 5km from east to west.

Summary

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Reference number: HLW (P) 5

OS map: Landranger 136

Unitary authority: Powys

This remarkable, albeit shallow, natural arena has made the basin an area of exceptional strategic and historical importance in Wales, while the confluence of the Rivers Carno and Trannon with the Severn has also made Caersws in the centre of the basin a natural focus for communications.

This was most clearly evidenced during the Roman period when a network of roads emanated from the Roman fort there, leading along the valleys and over the hills to the north. The remains of some roads are still visible in places. The combination of natural topography and evidence of man’s determination to control access and communication routes has thus created a landscape high in historic interest and integrity.

A series of small Iron Age enclosures, now largely visible only as crop-marks, provide an indication of the prehistoric occupation of the area. A large oval enclosure surrounded by an interrupted bank and ditch has recently been discovered just to the north of Caersws, and excavations have provided an Iron Age date from the ditch silts.

To the south west of Caersws the elaborate multivallate hillfort of Cefn Carnedd is one of the many sites put forward as a contender for the last stand of Caradog, although the association is somewhat tenuous. However, all these remains are clear evidence of intensive Iron Age settlement, and presumably farming, in the area.

A full published description for this landscape area is available as a pdf download within the Related Articles section below.

Prinicipal area designations:

The area includes: Caersws Roman site, Roman earthwork (revealed by aerial photography) NE of Caersws Scheduled Ancient Monuments; Llandinam and Llanwnog Conservation Areas.

Criteria: 3, 4, 5

Contents and significance:

As a remarkable natural focus of communications, the Caersws Basin has been of exceptional strategic and historical importance in Wales.

It contains evidence of human occupation and activity from the late prehistoric period to the recent past, including: Iron Age hillforts and enclosure crop-marks; Roman forts and roads; medieval defensive works and settlement; early developments built by David Davies of Llandinam; significant historic literary and legendary associations.