Dolaucothi Estate

The Dolaucothi Gold Mines (pronounced [ˌdɔlaiˈkɔθɪ]; Welsh: Mwynfeydd Aur Dolaucothi) (grid reference SN662403), also known as the Ogofau Gold Mine, are ancient Roman surface and underground mines located in the valley of the River Cothi, near Pumsaint, Carmarthenshire, Wales. The gold mines are located within the Dolaucothi Estate, which is owned by the National Trust. They are the only mines for Welsh gold outside those of the Dolgellau gold-belt, and are a Scheduled Ancient Monument. They are also the only known Roman gold mines in Britain, although it does not exclude the likelihood that they exploited other known sources in Devon in South West England, north Wales, Scotland and elsewhere. The site is important for showing advanced Roman technology.

Cynwyl Gaeo is a parish and community located in rural Carmarthenshire, Wales, near the boundary with Ceredigion, in the upper Cothi valley about halfway between Lampeter and Llandovery. The population of the village at the United Kingdom Census 2011 was 940. It includes the villages of Caio (Caeo), Crug-y-bar, Cwrtycadno, Ffarmers and Pumsaint. Historically it was part of the commote of Caeo, which in turn was part of Y Cantref Mawr ("The Great Hundred"), a division of Ystrad Tywi. It is the location of the Dolaucothi Gold Mines, part of Dolaucothi Estate, whose owner, John Johnes, was murdered by his butler in 1876. The mansion house was demolished in 1952. The parish church of St Cynwyl in the village of Caeo is a Grade II* listed building.

Pumsaint is a village in Carmarthenshire, Wales, halfway between Llanwrda and Lampeter on the A482 in the valley of the Afon Cothi. It forms part of the extensive estate of Dolaucothi, which is owned by the National Trust. The name is Welsh for "Five Saints" (Pump being the word for "five"). The name is derived from the stone block at the nearby gold mines, opposite Ogofau Lodge, which has four sides, each of which has hollows probably caused by pestle impacts. It was used as an anvil for crushing gold ore in the Roman period. Excavations in the 1990s of the area adjacent to the stone showed that the stone was originally horizontal and used as an anvil for a water-powered crushing mill. There are many parallels from Spanish mines of the Roman period with similar stone anvils.

Luentinum or Loventium refers to the Roman fort at Pumsaint, Carmarthenshire. The 1.9 hectares (4.7 acres) site lies either side of the A482 in Pumsaint and was in use from the mid 70s AD to around 120 AD. It may have had particular functions associated with the adjacent Dolaucothi Gold Mines. It formed part of a network of at least 30 forts across Wales, such as Llandovery, Bremia/Llanio near Llanddewi Brefi, and the fort at Llandeilo. The Roman road Sarn Helen, which runs past the Llanio and Llandovery forts was nearby. The name Luentinum is mentioned in Ptolemy's, 2nd century AD 'Geography', and is thought to relate to washing in reference to the Pumsaint gold mines. The fort appears to have been founded as a square 5½ acre (2.25 hectare) Roman auxiliary fort controlling the adjoining gold mines, around AD 75 when Frontinus was governor of Roman Britain and active in subduing the Silures of Roman Wales. The fort had an earthen rampart and double ditch. The date of first construction was determined from a Samian ware inkwell with stamp found in the early 1970s where the river bank had cut into the fort. On the east bank of the River Cothi, a few hundred yards south of Pumsaint village, was discovered a small double-roomed building with hypocaust and plain tessellated floors. It was probably the military bath-house. The internal buildings of the fort underwent a number of rebuildings until the fort was abandoned around 140. The surrounding civilian vicus then took over the area and, no doubt, also the mines. The fort is situated about halfway between similar forts at Llandovery to the east and Bremia or Llanio to the west, with Llandeilo to the south. The fort was at the meeting point of several Roman roads in mid Wales. These were the Ffordd Fleming which ran from Loventium to Menapia (St David's), the more southerly Via Julia which also came from St David's and met the Sarn Helen near Loventium, and the Hen Fford (old road) which came from Maridunum (Carmarthen). The name Luentinum appears only in Ptolemy's Geographia. It appears to be related to the Brythonic word for 'washing', as suggested by George Boon of the National Museum of Wales. It refers to the hushing (hydraulic mining) methods used on the site for extraction of the gold, and the washing tables used to concentrate the gold dust and nuggets. It is one of the best examples of the application of advanced Roman technology in Britain, and compares with other Roman mines in Europe such as those at Verespatak in Transylvania and Las Médulas in northern Spain. It is a site of international significance and importance.

The Afon Twrch is a short river in Carmarthenshire, West Wales. It joins the River Cothi (itself a left-bank tributary of the River Towy) at the village of Pumsaint, near to which are the Roman gold mines of Dolaucothi.

Caio (or Caeo) is a village in the county of Carmarthenshire, south-west Wales, sited near to the Dolaucothi Gold Mines.

Crugybar is a village in Carmarthenshire, Wales, located between Talley and Pumsaint. It is roughly of equal distance from Lampeter, Llandovery and Llandeilo. It is within the parish of Llanwrda.

Ffarmers is a village near Lampeter, in the north of Carmarthenshire, Wales. It was named after the old "Farmers' Arms" public house, which is now closed. The double "f" in the name comes from the Welsh language spelling of the "f" sound in "farmers". The village stands on the old Roman road, Sarn Helen, which was used by cattle drovers to take their livestock from Wales to Smithfield market in London. The small rivers Afon Twrch and Afon Fanafas flow to the south of the village and join the River Tywi between Llandeilo and Carmarthen.

Llanycrwys is a hamlet and community located in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Situated in the historical Cayo Hundred in the Union of Lampeter, it is situated near the River Cothi, and is separated from the parish of Caio by the Afon Twrch, which flows near the St. Davids church. The church is isolated, and was restored in 1892 by C. H. Purday of Ewan Christian, who had a porch on the western side, with a timbered gable. In 1934, local schoolmaster Daniel Jenkins published Cerddi Ysgol Llanycrwys, a collection of Welsh language poetry written by well-known Welsh poets for the celebration of St. David's Day at Llanycrwys between 1901 and 1920. The community is bordered by the communities of Cynwyl Gaeo and Pencarreg, both being in Carmarthenshire; and by Llanfair Clydogau in Ceredigion.

Aberbowlan is a small village in Carmarthenshire. It is located in the north of the county, 8 miles (13 km) to the north-east of the town of Llandovery on a road that links Hafod Bridge on the A482 and Caio.

Ffaldybrenin is a village in Llanycrwys community formed around the parish church in Carmarthenshire, Wales. In the late 19th century Church and State separated but the same area is now represented as a local authority by the Ffaldybrenin Community Council and the church by the parochial church council. It was the birthplace of Baptist missionary in China, Timothy Richard, (1845–1919).

Afon Annell (River Annell) is a small river in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is a tributary of the Afon Cothi. Some of the waters of the Annell were previously diverted via aqueduct to serve the Roman gold mine at Dolaucothi.