Tomen y Mur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tomen y Mur |
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| Gwynedd, Wales, UK | |
Reconstructed wall at the northwestern corner of the fort
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 Tomen y Mur
Location in Gwynedd
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| Coordinates | 52°55′48″N 3°55′36″W / 52.9299°N 3.9268°W |
Tomen y Mur is an ancient Roman fort located in Snowdonia, Gwynedd, Wales. It was built around 78 AD. This fort sits on a hill near Llyn Trawsfynydd. It was placed next to a Roman road called Sarn Helen. The Romans used the fort until about 140 AD, when they left it. Much later, in the 11th century, the Normans built a small castle mound, called a motte, on part of the old Roman site.
Today, Tomen y Mur is looked after by the Snowdonia National Park Authority. It is a very important historical place, known as a scheduled monument.
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What's in a Name?
The name "Tomen y Mur" comes from the Welsh language. It means "mound of the wall." This name refers to the Norman mound that was built inside the old Roman fort's walls. Because of this, the name couldn't have been used before the 11th century. We don't know the fort's original Roman name because no old writings about it have been found.
A Look Back: History of Tomen y Mur
Roman Conquest of Wales
Long ago, a Celtic tribe called the Ordovices lived in central and northwest Wales. They strongly fought against the Roman army trying to take over their land. A Roman writer named Tacitus tells us about their fierce resistance. The Ordovices, along with another tribe called the Silures, fought a tough guerrilla war against the Romans in the 50s AD. Their leader was Caratacus.
Just before a Roman governor named Gnaeus Julius Agricola arrived in 78 AD, the Ordovices were still fighting hard. They even attacked and killed an entire group of Roman Cavalry soldiers. Agricola's response was very harsh. Tacitus wrote that the Ordovices were almost completely wiped out by his actions.
Building the Fort
Tomen y Mur was likely built to help the Romans keep control after Agricola's battles. Its main jobs were to watch over the local people and protect the important Roman roads.
The first fort was made from earth and wood. It probably held about 1,000 mounted soldiers, known as cavalry. Later, in the early 2nd century, the fort was made smaller and rebuilt using stone. It then housed about 500 foot soldiers. This rebuilding suggests that the area was becoming more peaceful. About 30 years after the stone fort was built, the Romans left it completely.
Clues from Stones
Some special stones found near Harlech Castle are thought to have come from Tomen y Mur. These stones tell us about the rebuilding of the fort in stone. Each stone records how many steps of the fortress wall a certain group of soldiers built. Some of these "Centurial Stones" were once shown at the Segontium museum in Caernarfon.
Today, a part of the 2nd-century curtain wall has been rebuilt. This helps us imagine what the fort's defenses might have looked like long ago.
Tomen y Mur in Welsh Legends
This ancient site is also important in Welsh mythology. In one famous story from the Mabinogi, it is known as the legendary palace of Ardudwy, or Mur-y-Castell.
Today, the most noticeable feature at the site is the Norman motte. This is a large mound that was once topped by a wooden castle. We don't know much about this Norman fort. However, some historians think it might have been built by William Rufus around 1095 to fight against a Welsh uprising.
Exploring the Remains
The ruins of Tomen y Mur are quite large. Many other features can still be seen as bumps and hollows in the ground around the main fort. These include:
- A parade ground where soldiers trained
- A bath house for the soldiers
- A mansio (like an inn) for travelers
- Old roads
- Burial mounds
- Possibly a small temple
- A small military amphitheatre (a rare find in Britain!)
Some people think the amphitheater was built to give the soldiers something fun to do in such a lonely place. It's also possible that because the fort was so isolated, its amphitheater was saved from being destroyed by farming over the centuries.
