Alabum
Encyclopedia
Alabum was a fort
in the Roman province
of Britannia Superior
, of which Roman Wales was a part.
in the north of Llandovery
in the Welsh
county
of Carmarthenshire
.
lay between the fort and the River Bran. Occupation lasted into the 4th century.
A faint earthwork can still be seen around the church of St Mary which has Roman tiles incorporated into its fabric.
Castra
The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
in the Roman province
Roman province
In Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and, until the Tetrarchy , largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's territorial possessions outside of Italy...
of Britannia Superior
Britannia Superior
Britannia Superior was one of the provinces of Roman Britain created around 197 AD by Emperor Septimus Severus immediately after winning a civil war against Clodius Albinus, a war fought to determine who would be the next emperor. Albinus was the governor of Britannia during that civil war...
, of which Roman Wales was a part.
Location
Its remains are located at Llanfair-ar-y-brynLlanfair-ar-y-bryn
Llanfair-ar-y-bryn is a community located on the A483 just north of Llandovery in Carmarthenshire, Wales.The Llanfair-ar-y-bryn church stands on the Alabum site, a Roman auxiliary fort, and was the parish church until 1883. William Williams Pantycelyn who is generally acknowledged as Wales's most...
in the north of Llandovery
Llandovery
Llandovery is a market town in Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the River Tywi and the A40 road.The town is served by Llandovery railway station, where there is a park and ride to Llanelli and Shrewsbury via the Heart of Wales Line...
in the Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
of Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
.
History
The 5.25 acres (2.1 ha) fort was probably built in the 1st century with an enclosing rampart and double ditch. a quadruple ditch was dug on the north-east side to protect the flat terrain in that direction. A stone revetment was later added. A military bath houseThermae
In ancient Rome, thermae and balnea were facilities for bathing...
lay between the fort and the River Bran. Occupation lasted into the 4th century.
A faint earthwork can still be seen around the church of St Mary which has Roman tiles incorporated into its fabric.