Alabum facts for kids

Alabum was a Roman fort located in what is now Wales. It was part of the Roman province called Britannia Superior, which covered a large area of Roman Britain.

Where Was Alabum Located?

The remains of this ancient fort can be found near Llanfair-ar-y-bryn, which is in the northern part of Llandovery. This area is in the Welsh county of Carmarthenshire.

The Story of Alabum

This Roman fort, which covered about 5.25 acres (2.1 hectares), was likely built in the 1st century AD. It was protected by a strong earth wall called a rampart and two deep ditches. On one side, the north-east, there were even four ditches to make it extra safe because the land there was flat. Later, a stone wall was added to make the fort even stronger.

The soldiers living at Alabum also had a military bath house! This was located between the fort and the nearby River Bran. The Romans continued to use this fort until the 4th century AD.

Today, you can still see faint outlines of the old earthworks around the church of St Mary. Interestingly, this church even has some Roman tiles built into its walls, showing how long the history of this place goes back!