The new hall on a mezzanine floor of Llandeilo
Parish Church was an excellent venue for the Annual General Meeting as the Society entered its
second century. Looking down through the glass wall into the nave and the side chapel it was possible
to see the eighth century Celtic knot-work stone cross which our Society has adopted as its symbol.
It is possible that this cross is unique to Llandeilo and that it was copied from the Llandeilo Gospel
book.
A large number of members heard the president, the Revd J. Towyn Jones, outline the
extensive and very successful programme which had been organised for the centenary year in 2005. Outgoing
chairman Arfon Rees thanked all the officers who had worked hard during the four years when he held
office and particularly Muriel Bowen Evans for her editorship of The Antiquary, a publication which
is held in high repute both nationally and internationally.
Roy Davies was unanimously elected to the office of chairman and Thomas Lloyd to
that of vice-chairman. Donald Williams, a very long-standing member of Council, becomes a vice-president
and all other officers and members of Council were re-elected.
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Roy Davies, the new chairman,
thanking Gwilym Hughes at the end of the
visit to the site of the Roman forts
in Dinefwr Park. |
Gwilym Hughes of Cambria
Archaeology gave a presentation on the Roman forts in Dinefwr Park before leading the party to
the site of last summer's excavations.
It had long been suspected that there must have been a fort in the area, a day's
march between Carmarthen and Lllandovery. A smaller, later, fort was built on part of the older fort,
probably when the military situation allowed the large detachment to be withdrawn. Dates are uncertain
but it was probably built in the mid-70s AD. The entrances were defended by massive timber gate-houses
and there were substantial ditch and rampart defences. A small vicus, a civilian settlement, developed
alongside the fort.
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Gwilym Hughes
at the entrance to Dinefwr Park with one of the groves of beech trees in the background

On the ridge where the second fort was sited.
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