We know little of the border history before the times of the anglo-saxons. The numerous traces of entrench ments and fortifications of a remote date, prove that this district was frequently the scene of warfare. It is probable that before the Roman invasion, the tribes who inhabited the wilds of what we now call Wales, were accustomed to make predatory excursions against the Britons in the neighbouring plains, whilst the latter, exposed also to piratical invasions from the north and the south, provided for the temporary safety of themselves and as much of their property as they could carry away, by forming strong holds at the tops of the loftiest hills. We have no means of judging how far the spirit of the mountain tribes was tamed by the Roman arms although the remains of roads and stations show that at least the coasts and the more accessible parts were reduced under the dominion of that extraordinary people.