Remains of Roman Fort of Nidum (Neath) - geograph

Nidum (or NIDVM) is a

Roman fort In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, the Latin word ''castrum'', plural ''castra'', was a military-related term. In Latin usage, the singular form ''castrum'' meant 'fort', while the plural form ''castra'' meant 'camp'. The singular and ...

found in

Cwrt Herbert Cwrt Herbert, also sometimes called Court Herbert, is a small community to the east of Neath Abbey in south Wales It developed as a mining village servicing the Cwrt Herbert Colliery in the mid 19th century The colliery closed in 1929 and the vil ...

near the town of

Neath Neath (; cy, Castell-nedd) is a market town and Community (Wales), community situated in the Neath Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot County Borough, Wales. The town had a population of 50,658 in 2011. The community of the parish of Neath had a po ...

, in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. An

Auxiliary Auxiliary may refer to: * A backup site or system In language * Auxiliary language (disambiguation) * Auxiliary verb In military and law enforcement * Auxiliary police * Auxiliaries, civilians or quasi-military personnel who provide support of ...

fort first built in around 74AD from earth banks and wooden structures, it underwent a reduction in size from 3.3 to 2.3 hectares (8 to 6 acres) soon afterwards. It may have been garrisoned by perhaps 500 Auxiliary troops.roman-britain.co.uk: Nidum
/ref> It was abandoned in around 125AD, but re-occupied around 140AD when it was rebuilt in stone. However it was only occupied until 170AD, with 100 years of disuse before a final period in use from AD 275 and 320. Much of the site is in the grounds of

Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School Dwr-y-Felin Comprehensive School (Welsh: ''Ysgol Gyfun Dŵr-y-Felin'') is a comprehensive school in the Cwrt Herbert community of the town of Neath in South Wales, Wales. The school badge shows a watermill and mill stream in reference to the sch ...

, where a 2011 dig found gate-towers that extended out beyond the wall line, unique in Britain for its time, suggesting extreme defensive measures needed to be taken against the hostile

Silures The Silures ( , ) were a powerful and warlike tribe or tribal confederation of ancient Britain, occupying what is now south east Wales and perhaps some adjoining areas. They were bordered to the north by the Ordovices; to the east by the Dobunn ...

. The site was first identified in 1949, and various excavations related to school or other building works took place in 1950, 1958, 1962, 1984–5. Finds recovered from these digs included roof and floor tiles, pieces of a 1st-century

amphora An amphora (; grc, ἀμφορεύς, ''amphoreús''; English plural: amphorae or amphoras) is a type of container with a pointed bottom and characteristic shape and size which fit tightly (and therefore safely) against each other in storag ...

, fragments of kitchen- and table-ware ranging in date from the earliest construction phase to the early-2nd century. One or two pieces are from the mid-2nd century. Six coins were also found, ranging from Augustus (Imp. 23B.C. - A.D.14) to Trajan (Imp. A.D.98-117). Some of the artifacts from the site are on permanent exhibition in the

Neath Museum Neath (; cy, Castell-nedd) is a market town and community situated in the Neath Port Talbot County Borough, Wales. The town had a population of 50,658 in 2011. The community of the parish of Neath had a population of 19,258 in 2011. Historica ...

. The site is a

Scheduled Ancient Monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...

.Cadw SAM number GM215: Neath Roman Site

References

See also