BLESTIUM

Site Description The Roman presence at Monmouth, probably the Antonine Itinerary's Blestium, appears to have begun in the pre-Flavian period when a large fort was established at a critical position on invasion routes into the Gwent plain and the mid-Wales mountains. This was probably succeeded by a smaller fortlet, with a pottery assemblage of 2nd to 3rd century date, which appears to be centred to the North of the earlier fort.

After the military phase the settlement was dominated by industrial activity, probably related to the exploitation of iron ore from the Forest of Dean. This settlement lies on the higher ground within what later became the medieval town and appears to have flourished in the third and fouth centuries.

RCAHMW, November 2010.