Tomen y Mur is located in southern Snowdonia near Bala. Tomen y Mur, which means Mount in the Walls. The site is a mashup of Roman, Norman, and Welsh settlement and is one of those special places whose history covers thousands of years, beginning prior to the Roman Conquest. Welsh mythology references the place with a story of Lleu and Blodeuwedd in the Mabinogion. Starting in 78 AD, the Romans built walls, a fort, barracks, baths, parade ground, and small amphitheater—one of the few for just military personnel but an indication of the hardship of the posting, all to counter the Ordovices, who’d wiped out a Roman legion in the 50s. The Roman response was to move into the area in force and almost eliminate the entire people. Tomen y Mur was built to oversee the remaining few and protect Read more…