Tomen y Mur
Encyclopedia
Tomen y Mur is a Roman fort complex in Gwynedd
, Wales
. The fort was constructed under governor Gnaeus Julius Agricola
in AD 78, and was abandoned around AD 140. A millennium later, in the Norman period, the site was reoccupied and refortified with a motte
within the old walls. It is a scheduled monument in the care of Snowdonia National Park Authority.
. It is one of the most exposed and isolated Roman sites in Wales.
, the Ordovices
- the native Celtic peoples of central and Northwestern Wales - were particularly reluctant to submit to Roman occupation and, alongside the Silures
, had fought a bitter guerrilla war under the leadership of Caratacus
during the AD 50s. Shortly before Agricola's governorship began in AD 78, the Ordovices were still actively resisting and had massacred an entire regiment of Roman Cavalry
based in their territory. Agricola's response - part of his overall conquest of Wales - was so brutal that Tacitus tells us that the Ordivices were effectively wiped out.
The fort's purpose was to maintain order amongst the remnants of these local peoples and protect road communications in what was, at least initially, a dangerous and lawless area for the Romans. The timber fort founded by Agricola probably housed a cavalry unit of 1000. It was subsequently reduced in size and rebuilt in stone in order to accommodate 500 infantry in the early 2nd century. This rebuilding work suggests that the military situation was stabilising and that the legionaries had settled down into a garrison role, so much so that roughly 30 years later the fort was abandoned. No references to the site have survived from antiquity and today we do not even know its Roman name.
Despite this the remains are extensive, with many ancillary features being traceable as eathworks outside the fort: a parade ground, bath house
, mansio
(Inn), roads
, burial mounds, a possible temple
and a small military amphitheatre
(Ludus) - a rare feature in Britain. It has been speculated that the arena was built to compensate the legionaries for such a bleak posting, but it is also possible that the fort's very isolation allowed its preservation; many auxiliary forts having had their own arenas erased by ploughing, etc.
and believed to be from Tomen y Mur, document the rebuilding of the fort in stone. Each stone commemorates, in paces, various lengths of completed fortress wall and the units (Centuria
) who built them. Some of these 'Centurial Stones' are on display at the Segontium
museum, Caernarfon
. A section of the 2nd century curtain wall
has recently been reconstructed to give an impression of how the defences may once have looked.
where it is the legendary palace of Ardudwy
(Mur-y-Castell) in the fourth branch of the Mabinogi. Dominating the site today is a Norman era Motte
. Little is known about the fortification, but it is possible that it was constructed by William Rufus to counter the Welsh insurgency of 1095. The name Tomen y Mur refers to this feature; translated, it means "Mound in the walls".
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. The fort was constructed under governor Gnaeus Julius Agricola
Gnaeus Julius Agricola
Gnaeus Julius Agricola was a Roman general responsible for much of the Roman conquest of Britain. His biography, the De vita et moribus Iulii Agricolae, was the first published work of his son-in-law, the historian Tacitus, and is the source for most of what is known about him.Born to a noted...
in AD 78, and was abandoned around AD 140. A millennium later, in the Norman period, the site was reoccupied and refortified with a motte
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
within the old walls. It is a scheduled monument in the care of Snowdonia National Park Authority.
Location
Tomen y Mur lies on the slope of an isolated spur above the A470, Northeast of Llyn TrawsfynyddLlyn Trawsfynydd
Llyn Trawsfynydd is a large man-made reservoir situated near the village of Trawsfynydd in Gwynedd, North Wales. With a total surface area of 4.8 km² the reservoir is slightly more extensive than Wales's largest natural lake, Llyn Tegid .Originally created in 1928 as the header reservoir for...
. It is one of the most exposed and isolated Roman sites in Wales.
Background
According to TacitusTacitus
Publius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
, the Ordovices
Ordovices
The Ordovices were one of the Celtic tribes living in Great Britain, before the Roman invasion of Britain. Its tribal lands were located in present day Wales and England between the Silures to the south and the Deceangli to the north-east...
- the native Celtic peoples of central and Northwestern Wales - were particularly reluctant to submit to Roman occupation and, alongside the Silures
Silures
The Silures were a powerful and warlike tribe of ancient Britain, occupying approximately the counties of Monmouthshire, Breconshire and Glamorganshire of present day South Wales; and possibly Gloucestershire and Herefordshire of present day England...
, had fought a bitter guerrilla war under the leadership of Caratacus
Caratacus
Caratacus was a first century British chieftain of the Catuvellauni tribe, who led the British resistance to the Roman conquest....
during the AD 50s. Shortly before Agricola's governorship began in AD 78, the Ordovices were still actively resisting and had massacred an entire regiment of Roman Cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
based in their territory. Agricola's response - part of his overall conquest of Wales - was so brutal that Tacitus tells us that the Ordivices were effectively wiped out.
The fort's purpose was to maintain order amongst the remnants of these local peoples and protect road communications in what was, at least initially, a dangerous and lawless area for the Romans. The timber fort founded by Agricola probably housed a cavalry unit of 1000. It was subsequently reduced in size and rebuilt in stone in order to accommodate 500 infantry in the early 2nd century. This rebuilding work suggests that the military situation was stabilising and that the legionaries had settled down into a garrison role, so much so that roughly 30 years later the fort was abandoned. No references to the site have survived from antiquity and today we do not even know its Roman name.
Despite this the remains are extensive, with many ancillary features being traceable as eathworks outside the fort: a parade ground, bath house
Thermae
In ancient Rome, thermae and balnea were facilities for bathing...
, mansio
Mansio
In the Roman Empire, a mansio was an official stopping place on a Roman road, or via, maintained by the central government for the use of officials and those on official business whilst travelling.-Background:The roads which traversed the Ancient World, were later surveyed,...
(Inn), roads
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
, burial mounds, a possible temple
Roman temple
Ancient Roman temples are among the most visible archaeological remains of Roman culture, and are a significant source for Roman architecture. Their construction and maintenance was a major part of ancient Roman religion. The main room housed the cult image of the deity to whom the temple was...
and a small military amphitheatre
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
(Ludus) - a rare feature in Britain. It has been speculated that the arena was built to compensate the legionaries for such a bleak posting, but it is also possible that the fort's very isolation allowed its preservation; many auxiliary forts having had their own arenas erased by ploughing, etc.
Inscriptions
Inscribed stones, found at Harlech CastleHarlech Castle
Harlech Castle, located in Harlech, Gwynedd, Wales, is a concentric castle, constructed atop a cliff close to the Irish Sea. Architecturally, it is particularly notable for its massive gatehouse....
and believed to be from Tomen y Mur, document the rebuilding of the fort in stone. Each stone commemorates, in paces, various lengths of completed fortress wall and the units (Centuria
Centuria
Centuria is a Latin substantive from the stem centum , denoting units consisting of 100 men. It also denotes a Roman unit of land area: 1 centuria = 100 heredia...
) who built them. Some of these 'Centurial Stones' are on display at the Segontium
Segontium
Segontium is a Roman fort for a Roman auxiliary force, located on the outskirts of Caernarfon in Gwynedd, north Wales.It probably takes its name from the nearby River Seiont, and may be related to the Segontiaci, a British tribe mentioned by Julius Caesar. The fort was founded by Agricola in 77 or...
museum, Caernarfon
Caernarfon
Caernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
. A section of the 2nd century curtain wall
Curtain wall
A curtain wall is an outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are non-structural, but merely keep out the weather. As the curtain wall is non-structural it can be made of a lightweight material reducing construction costs. When glass is used as the curtain wall, a great advantage is...
has recently been reconstructed to give an impression of how the defences may once have looked.
Post Roman
The site is an important one in Welsh mythologyWelsh mythology
Welsh mythology, the remnants of the mythology of the pre-Christian Britons, has come down to us in much altered form in medieval Welsh manuscripts such as the Red Book of Hergest, the White Book of Rhydderch, the Book of Aneirin and the Book of Taliesin....
where it is the legendary palace of Ardudwy
Ardudwy
Ardudwy is an area of Gwynedd in north-west Wales, lying between Tremadog Bay and the Rhinogydd. Administratively, under the old Kingdom of Gwynedd, it was first a division of the sub kingdom of Dunoding and later a cantref in its own right...
(Mur-y-Castell) in the fourth branch of the Mabinogi. Dominating the site today is a Norman era Motte
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
. Little is known about the fortification, but it is possible that it was constructed by William Rufus to counter the Welsh insurgency of 1095. The name Tomen y Mur refers to this feature; translated, it means "Mound in the walls".