Carmarthen Town Walls

Has been described as a Certain Urban Defence

There are no visible remains

NameCarmarthen Town Walls
Alternative NamesCaerfyrddin
Historic CountryCarmarthenshire
Modern AuthorityCarmarthenshire
1974 AuthorityDyfed
CommunityCarmarthen

The line of the medieval town wall, consisting of two main phases. Carmarthen recieved the first grant of murage of any Welsh town in 1233, the subsequent defences enclosed c3 ha. of the town. This wall ran from the castle to the bottom of Quay Street, north to Guildhall Square and on to Chapel St, turning south roughly opposite Cambrian Place and back to the castle. These walls included four gateways. After the Owain Glyndwr rebellion a new grant of murage was applied for in 1415 and the King Street/Spilman Street areas were also enclosed in stone walls, containing at least 3 new gates. Much of the wall has been taken down over the years although small sections are still upstanding, for example at Dan-y-Banc (SN41451997) and Little Bridge Street (SN41201992). (Dyfed Archaeological Trust HER)

Section of embanking wall on line of medieval town wall dating to 1415. The wall is visible in one section behind former District Council offices, interrupted by steps up to car park, then may extend behind outbuildings on Dan-y-banc known as the donkey stables and then is visible along back of small park opposite government building (Ty Myrddin), i.e. behind the Ivy Bush Hotel. A murage grant was given in 1233 to enclose a small area around the castle. After the Glyndwr uprising of 1403-5 when the town outside the walls was sacked and the castle surrendered a new murage grant was made in 1415 to repair the walls and enclose a larger area to the E including Spilman Street. A wall is shown on this line on John Speed map of 1610.

Rubble stone embankment walling of various dates and stones, incorporating some old red sandstone and many repairs. At SW end, to left of donkey stables in Dan-y-banc and below Carmarthen District Council Offices, a tall projection of retaining wall of red stone rises some 10m high, with double plinth and square holes. It may be of later date than the much lower long length of wall to rear of the Ivy Bush Hotel, above small garden

(Listed Building Report)

Gatehouse Comments

A rough rectangle, apparently expanded from an earlier small oval area, with four gates. No remains. Speed's Map of 1610 is main authority for line of walls. Built from c. 1233. Fairly frequent murage grants from 1233 until mid C14 and grant of £20 from fee farm for five years in 1415 'as the king understands that the walls have been razed by the Welsh rebels, and the inhabitants are robbed at night for lack of enclosure, and the mayor and commonalty are too poor to enclose the town without aid.' Carmarthen was the most populous town of medieval Wales. The area enclosed by the medieval walls was relatively small and excluded St Peter's church and a large welsh suburb, although these were within the bounds of the Roman town. However, within the Medieval walls was the market and a smaller, now lost, church of St Mary. The English borough and castle was outside the bounds of the Roman town and if there were any Roman town defences these must have been very slight by the time of the foundation of the castle and English borough.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

This is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law

Historic Wales CADW listed database record number
The National Monument Record (Coflein) number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceSN415199
Latitude51.8558807373047
Longitude-4.30681991577148
Eastings241520
Northings219920
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

No photos available. If you can provide pictures please contact Castlefacts

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.

Calculate Print

Books

  • Ludlow, Neil, 2014, Carmarthen Castle - The Archaeology of Government (University of Wales Press) passim
  • Salter, Mike, 2013, Medieval Walled Towns (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 164
  • Hughes, G., 2006, Tref hynaf Cymru: Caerfyrddin/Carmarthen: the oldest town in Wales (Llandeilo: Cambria Archaeology)
  • Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p. 27, 29, 74, 93, 95, 114, 131, 204, 230, 273
  • Pettifer, Adrian, 2000, Welsh Castles, A Guide by Counties (Boydell Press) p. 43 (suggests used Roman wall–probably incorrectly)
  • Salter, Mike, 1996, The Castles of South West Wales (Malvern) p. 19
  • Bond, C.J., 1987, 'Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Defences' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds), Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report 61) p. 92-116 online copy (plan)
  • Soulsby, Ian, 1983, The Towns of Medieval Wales (Phillimore; Chichester) p. 101-4 (plan)
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 1 p. 61
  • James, T., 1980, Carmarthen: an Archaeological and Topographical Survey (Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society for the Dyfed Archaeological Trust)
  • Barley, M.W., 1975, 'Town Defences in England and Wales after 1066' in Barley (ed) The plans and topography of medieval towns in England and Wales (CBA Research Report 14) p. 57-71 online copy
  • Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p. 212
  • Richard, A.J., 1935, in Lloyd, J.E. (ed), History of Carmathenshire (Cardiff) Vol. 1 p. 314-7
  • RCAHMW, 1917, An inventory of the Ancient Monuments of Carmarthenshire (HMSO) p. 251-2, 258 online copy
  • Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co) p. 246-7

Antiquarian

Journals

  • Creighton, Oliver, 2006, ''Castles of Communities': Medieval Town Defences in England; Wales and Gascony' Château Gaillard Vol. 22 p. 75-86
  • Hogg, A.H.A. and King, D.J.C., 1967, 'Masonry castles in Wales and the Marches: a list' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 116 p. 71-132
  • Bowen, 1948-9, Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 100 p. 118-22
  • Ovens, 1926-7, Transactions of the Carmarthenshire Antiquarian Society Vol. 20 p. 18 and plate
  • Evans, A.C., 1876, 'Historical events connected with Caermarthen Castle' Archaeologia Cambrensis Vol. 31 p. 64-6 online copy

Guide Books

  • Hughes, Gwilym, 2006, Tref Hynaf Cymru Caerfyrddin Carmarthen The Oldest Town in Walls (Dyfed Archaeological Trust) online copy

Primary Sources

  • Giraldus Cambrensis, c.1188, Journey Through Wales view online transcription
  • Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1905, Calendar of Close Rolls Henry III Vol. 2 p. 199 view online copy (subscription required)
  • Calendar of Patent Rolls Henry III Vol. 3 (1232-1247) p. 54; (1258-1266) p. 612; (1272-1281) p. 371; (1292-1301) p. 144; (1307-1313) p. 480; (1313-1317) p. 287; (1317-1321) p. 242; (1324-1327) p. 57; p. 278; (1327-1330) p. 394; (1334-1338) p. 54; (1338-1340) p. 508 (murage grants) online copy
  • Maxwell Lyte, H.C. (ed), 1910, Calendar of Patent Rolls Henry V (1413-16) Vol. 1 p. 308 (Grant of £20 for 5 years) online copy
  • - < >Also see the Gatehouse murage pages for full details of murage [grants > http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/murage/murindex.html], [petitions > http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/murage/mupindex.html ] and [other such > http://www.gatehouse-gazetteer.info/murage/muaindex.html]. < >