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Newtown & the SevernCaersws and the Roman Fort
A flat riverside loop from a village built inside the outline of a Roman fort, with the Severn alongside for much of it.
- Distance
- 2.5 mi / 4 km
- Time
- 1 hr 20
- Ascent
- 60 m
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Shape
- Circular
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
Follow the Severn out of the village and return by field paths and lanes, crossing the line of the fort defences on the way back. Level throughout.
Worth knowing
- The village street pattern still follows the Roman fort walls, which is clearer on a map than on the ground.
- Caersws has a station on the Cambrian line, so this is easily done by train.
- John Ceiriog Hughes, the poet, was station master here and is buried at Llanwnnog nearby.
What you’ll see
The Severn, water meadows, and the low earthworks of the fort perimeter.
Background
The fort guarded the crossing of the Severn and the junction of Roman roads through mid Wales. It was occupied from the first century and the modern village sits inside its footprint.