Carmarthen Roman Town (part of)

Cadw's description

Summary description and reason for designation

The monument comprises the buried remains of part of the Roman town of Moridunum, now Carmarthen. All remains are below-ground, but the presence of well-preserved archaeology has been demonstrated by excavation at a number of points. The scheduled area is, for the most part, open ground located between Priory Street and Richmond Terrace. Its western end includes a tarmac car park, and some domestic gardens. To the northeast are tennis courts and a grassed play-area. It is a very irregular shape, measuring approximately 270m NE-SW at its longest point, and an average of 130m NW-SE. The scheduled area includes the football ground, where repeated excavations have established the complexity and depth of the archaeological sequence. A Roman street runs north-east to south-west across the scheduled area, and has been seen as a parchmark on the football field, confirmed by limited excavation during drainage works. Evaluation excavation carried out in the area of the new changing rooms showed that evidence for both timber and stone Roman buildings is preserved. The scheduled area of the Roman town is closely associated with the nearby amphitheatre (CM206) which is one of very few surviving amphitheatres in the UK, and represents the only above-ground Roman remains in Carmarthen. The remains of the earlier Roman fort at Carmarthen are also scheduled (CM235).
The monument is of national importance for its potential to enhance our knowledge of the origins and growth of Roman towns, from fort to vicus. The excellent and extensive survival of below-ground archaeology means that there is a high likelihood of the preservation of all kinds of domestic remains, including structural, artefactual and environmental. The site also has group value with the amphitheatre (CM206) and the remaining parts of the Roman fort (CM235).
The protected area comprises those remains described above, and an area around them within which related evidence may be expected to survive.