So today I managed to miss a bus while standing at a bus stop. It's not entirely my fault, I swear! After a relaxed morning in Llandovery, I found out that the bus would be a much more efficient and easier way to get to Carmarthen. So I trotted across the street to the bus stop and stood by the stand, waiting for the bus and finishing a podcast. The bus was a few minutes late, so I was trying to find something else to listen to. As I looked back up, I watched my bus zoom by on the main road. The bus stop was just off the main road, but the bus showed no intention of coming over to the stop. I thought maybe it would come around on a loop, but alas, I was wrong. It sped away...without me.
So I just headed the twenty steps to the train station and took a bit longer and a bit more complicated route to Carmarthen. Both my guidebooks were pretty down on Carmarthen, just as they were about Holyhead, so I was a bit skeptical of what I'd find. So far, I've been pleasantly surprised! The town is definitely more developed than most of the towns I've stayed in, it is still charming. Much of the history has been covered with larger stores and parking lots, but there are still nice side streets and a beautiful county office house.
After checking into my hotel, I decided to make my way to the only surviving part of the Roman settlement in Carmarthen: the amphitheater. The remains are a bit outside the center of town and as I made my way there, I was distracted by a church. The church, St. Peter's, apparently marked one end of where the Roman fort would have been.
Walking into the church, the first thing I saw was a Roman altar sitting in the entryway. The altar had been found on the main Roman road through the town, but was brought to the church. I thought it was an interesting mixing of religions, a pagan altar in a Christian church.
The church was lovely on the inside, with a nave and a parallel southern aisle, which were both lined with beautiful, carved wooden pews. The red tiling, along with the red hue in the wood, gave a rich color and light to the building. I was intrigued by the sort of parallel structure of the church. It seemed a bit odd, as some of those in the southern aisle would certainly not be able to see the altar or possible the pulpit.
But the southern aisle has its own treasure: the tomb of the Richard III's killer. According to some sources, including Welsh poet Guto'r Glyn, Rhys ap Thomas struck down Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth Field. It is (of course) unclear if he was actually the one to do the deal, but it is very clear that Henry Tudor was very pleased with Thomas's service in the War of the Roses. Following the end of the war and the crowning of Henry VII, Thomas was named Constable and Lieutenant of Breconshire, Chamberlain of Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire, Seneschall and Chancellor of Haverfordwest, Rouse and Builth, Justiciar of South Wales, Governor of all Wales, a member of the Privy Councillor, and a Knight of the Garter. Certainly an unexpected piece of history (or legend) to stumble upon!
I continued down the road to the Roman amphitheater. The amphitheater is one of only four known in Wales. It is slightly smaller than the one in Chester and could have seated around 5,000 people. The amphitheater is a much narrower oval shape than others I've seen, including the one in Chester. The amphitheater was placed just outside the Roman town, called Moridunum, and along the Roman road that connected the settlement to forts in the area, like the one just outside Llandovery.
The amphitheater is the only part of Roman settlement that is visible above ground; the entire remains of the town and fort are covered by the modern town. In the 70s CE, the site was first developed to hold a large fort, but this was soon reduced in size. By the mid 2nd century, the fort was abandoned, but the settlement around it developed into the town, Moridunum. In the 3rd century, the fort was reoccupied and the town was thriving, becoming one of the largest settlements in Wales. It also seems to have been a pretty good example of a Roman and native amalgamation, maybe similar to what occurred in Wroxeter.
After absorbing the remains of the amphitheater, I followed a map to the promise of another information sign about Roman's in the area. This brought me to the remains of Carmarthen Castle. The remains are just behind the county offices and only a wall, towers, and a gate still stand.
I was able to go up on to the walls of the castle and up to the top of the castle gate. It took me a while to track down the flag flying, but I believe I've found it. It seems to be the flag of the princely House of Dinefwr, a royal house in Wales founded in 854 CE, and the Kingdom of Deheubarth, a kingdom in southern Wales from 920-1197 CE. The flag was inherited as the arms of the Talbot family, which (if I understand correctly) have been the Earls of Shrewsbury since 1442 to present day.
Though most of the castle is gone, and even half the gate is gone, the parts that remain are quite striking. The gate consisted of path leading between two towers. It would have been defended with a portcullis and a machicolation seen here. A machicolation is a defensive feature of many castles which allowed defenders to drop objects on enemies at the gate from above. Smaller holes that served the same function were called murder holes.
In a small courtyard by the castle remains, there was another informational panel about the Roman town and the surrounding area (I've already shared some of the better facts found there). Sadly, that concluded my tour of Roman Carmarthen. All the other secrets are trapped underground! (Or in museums not in Carmarthen)
Fun Fact #13: Legend tells that Merlin, of Arthurian lore, was born in a cave outside Carmarthen. In fitting with this, there as an oak tree in the town called Merlin's Oak. The tree was actually planted in celebration of Charles II's return to the throne in 1659 or 1660, but still came with this prophecy: "When Merlin's Oak shall tumble down,/Then shall fall Carmarthen town." Sadly, the tree died in the mid-19th century and was eventually removed in the 1970s. Luckily, the town still stands!
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