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Mynydd Mallaen

Marilyns of WalesMountains and hills of CarmarthenshirePages with Welsh IPA
Crugiau Merched trig and Cefn Branddu geograph.org.uk 839827
Crugiau Merched trig and Cefn Branddu geograph.org.uk 839827

Mynydd Mallaen (Welsh: [ˈmənɨð ˈmaɬai̯n]) is an expansive plateau to the northwest of Cilycwm in northeast Carmarthenshire, Wales. It forms part of the Cambrian Mountains massif, and is north-west of the Black Mountain (range) in the Brecon Beacons. It takes the form of an undulating plateau with steep slopes dropping away to the Towy valley to the east and those of the Gwenffrwd, Nant Melyn and Afon Cothi to the north and west. Its highest point of 1516 feet or 462m at OS grid reference SN 723455 is surmounted by two Bronze Age cairns known as Crugiau Merched (which translates from Welsh as ladies' barrows). Caeo Forest covers much of the southern flanks of the hill and smaller forests also cover its eastern slopes. Much of the native woodland consists of sessile oak groves, especially on the valley sides. The human population is very low, being restricted to hill farms engaged in sheep farming, and some holiday cottages.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Mynydd Mallaen (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 52.08 ° E -3.84 °
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Address

Cilycwm


, Cilycwm
Wales, United Kingdom
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Crugiau Merched trig and Cefn Branddu geograph.org.uk 839827
Crugiau Merched trig and Cefn Branddu geograph.org.uk 839827
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Nearby Places

Luentinum
Luentinum

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.