IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Capel Evan Road, CARMARTHEN, SA31 1EJ

Llwybr cyhoeddus yn arwain at dreflan Cwmoernant. A public footpath heading towards the hamlet of Cwmoernant (trans. valley of the cold stream).

Llwybr cyhoeddus yn arwain at dreflan Cwmoernant. A public footpath approaching the hamlet of Cwmoernant (trans. valley of the cold stream).

This OS cut mark can be found on the gatepost of No6 Old Oak Lane. It marks a point 24.140m above mean sea level.

Carmarthen was an important town in Roman times and the Romans built this amphitheatre for the purpose of holding gladiatorial shows and displays of wild beasts. Only part of the site is visible here because trees and bushes have been allowed to encroach on the far side. The local authority keeps the grass mown but does not provide any information for visitors.

From the A484 Priory Street, Old Oak Lane leads to Richmond Terrace.

Hidden in plain sight right next to Priory Street on the outskirts of town are the remains of a Roman amphitheatre.

Excavated in 1968, this is one of only seven surviving Roman amphitheatres in the UK. It is located on the north side of the A484, here named Priory Street. The amphitheatre was part of Moridunum (Latin for sea fort), the ancient Roman fort and town in the Roman province of Britannia. After the Roman era, Moridunum was known as Caerfyrddin. Fyrddin is a Welsh mutated form of Myrddin, which looks like a Welsh form of the Latin name. Caerfyrddin was later anglicised to Carmarthen. Caerfyrddin may have been misinterpreted as "Fort of Myrddin", hence the town's association with the Arthurian Merlin.

South facing houses on the approach to the Old Oak Lane junction.

Carmarthen's Roman amphitheatre was excavated in 1968 and 1970 and is an elliptical shape, approximately 90 metres by 60 metres. It is thought to date from around 75AD. The town of Carmarthen was known as 'Moridunum' by the Romans. It is one of two such visible amphitheatres in Wales, the other is at Caerleon.

Carmarthen has many Merlyn based myths associated with it including (wrongly) the source of the town's name. On this corner, a tree once stood, over which Merlyn prophesied that: When Merlyn's tree shall tumble down Then shall fall Carmarthen town ... which is a pretty clever thing for the old wizard to have done really as the tree has since been dated to the 16th century, long after the days of King Arthur. Since then, locals have believed the town would flood if the tree ever fell. In the early 19th century a local poisoned and killed the tree, but its dead limbs still stood here until 1978 when the council took it down (fearing it about to collapse) and kept parts of it standing in the Civic Hall, where they are to this day. For some reason, the tree has been replaced by what can only be described as an overgrown sapling in an overgrown pot!