Exploring town's fabled labyrinth of ancient tunnels. The historic town of Carmarthen is said to be built on a network of ancient underground tunnels - but is the legend true? Robert Harries examines the evidence. (2024)

Byline: Robert Harries

CARMARTHEN, the oldest town in Wales, is steeped in myths and legends, from tales of Merlin to the capture of its castle by Owain GlyndWr.

It's a place where history weaves a spellbinding narrative, enchanting both locals and visitors with its rich past.

Among the historical enigmas that blur the line between fact and fiction are the 'Tunnels of Carmarthen' - an extensive labyrinth of ancient passageways rumoured to connect key locations throughout the town.

The question lingers: Did these tunnels provide a secret pathway for high-profile prisoners travelling from Carmarthen Castle to St Peter's Church? And, more tantalisingly, do they still offer a hidden route beneath the streets of Carmarthen?

Armed with a torch and a sense of adventure, back in 2017 I embarked on a quest to uncover these medieval passages, imagining the footsteps of those who might have used them centuries ago - for worship, justice, or perhaps even a discreet journey home after an evening at the local tavern..

"There was a doorway and behind it was an alleyway," Geraint Jones, a retired building control officer, who claimed to have walked these very paths beneath our feet, said.

He once succumbed to curiosity, venturing from the corner of Nott Square, down as far as the Guildhall, hugging the subterranean walls as he did so. "When it was a chemist, years ago, I used to help my wife who worked there by taking some baggage down to the basem*nt," Mr Jones recounted. "There was a doorway and behind it was an alleyway; I walked underneath the pavement all the way down to where Woolworths used to be. I didn't go any further because it was pitch black!"

Fuelled by this intriguing confession, I went to the site (then The Old Market Square Delicatessen) and implored the proprietor for a glimpse into her basem*nt.

She revealed: "Yes, there is a cellar here with a doorway that leads off into something else."

Eagerly, we delved within, following the 'tunnel.' .' Alas, 20ft in, our quest was thwarted. A right turn faced a sealed wall. To our left lay another chamber, filled with bricks blocking any onward journey.

The mystery of Carmarthen Castle's possible hidden passage to St Peter's Church has ignited the curiosity of locals for years.

The owners of a florist in King Street said: "We had people coming in all asking the same thing - can we have a look at your cellar? They were absolutely fascinated by the idea that there's a tunnel that runs underneath the shop, or at least used to. The floor to the cellar is uneven, and people have said that's down to an old Roman Road being underneath.

"There is a section of the cellar which is formed like a tunnel, but there's no access to it at either end, only through a side door. Some people have mentioned that the tunnel may have gone from the castle all the way to the church, but I don't know about that."

Canon Leigh Richardson, former vicar of St Peters Church, added weight to the speculation when he recollected a revealing episode.

"We had a plumbing problem a few years ago and a plumber came out and lifted up one of the heating grids that we had on the floor to get underneath," he said. "There's a drop of about six feet and there are pipes that travel from one end of the church to the other. When he was down there, he said that he could feel that underneath the ground was hollow, as if there was something else lower down. It wouldn't be unusual for a church to have a route to the castle in years gone by, mainly for safety. There may have been situations when people might have wanted to travel between the two without wanting to attract public attention. In those days, the castle and the church were the two main symbols of power."

So, were there tunnels that connected certain points of the town - from the Ivy Bush hotel to the Guildhall? From the church to the castle, from the castle to the courthouse, from 'Millets corner' to the river, underneath Quay Street, along Priory Street?

There was "definitely" one that ran from underneath the Ivy Bush Hotel to the Guildhall, I was told adamantly by one town centre professional, one that would allow judges to walk safely to their courtroom, directly from the comfort of their hotel breakfast table.

"Could I see it?' I asked. "No, it's been closed off," came the reply.

Rhys Anthony, who worked as a tourist information officer for Carmarthenshire council, told me that, following excavations at the castle in the early 21st century, rumours about underground routes gained momentum.

"I suspect that some of the stories about tunnels have come from the cellars that were underneath the square outside the castle," he said.

"If there were tunnels, they would have been from the castle itself down to the river, so that a King could make a quick escape, as he would have had ships down at the port enabling him to get away quickly if needed."

But not everyone is convinced there is a pattern of passageways sat beneath us in Carmarthen.

Local historian Simon Ratty said that 'the tunnels' are mainly culverts meant for diverting streams and rivers beneath our roads, disputing claims of a vast accessible network across the town.

"It's certainly interesting," he said. "Apparently, you can walk the entirety of Blue Street, or at least could, underneath the pavement. But most of them are just culverts."

Why the mystery, then? "Because it's more romantic than saying it's just a drain." Mr Ratty explained.

Will we ever know what lies or once lay beneath Carmarthen? It's certainly possible that Wales' oldest town, complete with its castle, church, jail house and historic court all within a mile-or-so radius of one another could have been connected deep underground in centuries gone past.

It's easy enough to imagine the short yet dark walk underneath King Street, or the quick dash from the Guildhall to a prison cell just up the road. Did they exist? More than possibly.

Will we, safely above ground, ever get to see them? Probably not.

CAPTION(S):

From left: An underground chamber underneath Brewery Road; the tunnel-shaped cellar underneath another shop - formerly Floral Decor by Sienna - in King Street; a door leading to a tunnel underneath a former deli in Notts Square; another bricked-up 'tunnel'; and the entrance to one of the castle dungeons

&g"If there were tunnels, many of them would have led to the ancient Carmarthen Castle