This polygonal enclosed hut group has a suggested occupation period from the mid-3rd through the 4th centuries A.D., during the latter part of Roman rule in Britain. It is very likely that the occupants here were the former inhabitants of the hillfort at Dinas Dinorwig, which lies nearby and is known to have been abandoned during the early Romano-British period.

RIB 2263 - Milestone of Decius

For the Emperor Quintus Trojanus Decius Caesar Pius Felix ..

IMP
Q TRO
DECIO
[...]SA[...]
[   ]EL

Decius, A.D. 249-51. Trojanus is an error for Trajanus.Westwood, followed by later writers, seems to be mistaken in assigning it to the British hill-fort of Dinas Dinorwic.This milestone, like that from Ty Coch RIB 2264, was found reused in a hut-group at Cae’r-bythod (C. N. Johns to R.P.W., 14 Sept. 1956). If it indeed belonged to the Segontium-Kanovium road, it would have been moved up to 2.4 km. But as abundant building-stone is available locally, so long a shift is difficult to explain, though some shift must have taken place for it to be reused at all. If the stone was brought from close at hand, it may have belonged to a branch-road serving the slate-quarries R.P.W.

References for Cae Metta

  • Britannia iii (1972) p.299;
  • Summary Report in A.W. 1971;
  • The Roman Inscriptions of Britain by R.G. Collingwood and R.P. Wright (Oxford 1965);
  • R.C.A.H.M. Caernarvonshire iii (1964) pp.98-100; R.C.A.H.M. Caernarvonshire ii (1960) p.179;

Map References for Cae Metta

NGRef: SH536650 OSMap: LR115

Roman Roads near Cae Metta

WSW (5) to Segontivm ENE (15) to Canovivm (Caerhun, Gwynedd)

Sites near Cae Metta