The Romans

The Sarn Helen roman road runs north to south along the Pyrddin valley.

Along the floor of the valley lay a Roman fort called Ricus and nearby was a very large Roman marching camp.

The names of local farms tell the story - Toncastell (land of the fortress) and Ton-y-Fildre (land of the soldiers)

The Roman invasion of Britannia by Claudius occurred in AD43. This area was peopled by a tribe called the Silures.

Caratacus the leader of a defeated tribe in southern England, fled west to join the Silures and led them in guerrilla raids against the Roman legions.

This formed the basis of resistance for several years until, in a pitched battle, Caratacus was captured. The leaderless Silurians then fought on for another twenty years.

By AD78, Julius Frontinus, the new Roman Governor, had finally overcome and totally decimated the tribe. The Romans now had complete domination.