National Trust architect Martin Davies from Cardigan has made a significant new discovery of what he believes to be a Roman road extending from Wiston near Haverforwest all the way north past Cardigan and ultimately via Trawscoed to a surviving Roman fort five miles east of Ponterwyd. Following four years of research, his discovery has been published in his latest book Ancient Causeways Uncovered – Evidence for a coastal Roman road through Ceredigion and over Preseli.

Martin says that he has purposely avoided producing a book that is technical or academic, and hopes that the thrill of finding new evidence comes over in its pages. His work is supported by maps, aerial photographs, Lidar and field explorations, also by no less than eight excavations.

“It’s written for the lay public by a lay author. Nor is it scientific: it relies instead on observation, practical experience and the occasional hard graft with a shovel and trowel. The readers are the jury who can come to their own conclusions based on the evidence,” said Martin, also author of Save the last of the Magic,’ a booklet on local cottages first published in 1991.

“Some of the traces are so faint on aerial views that they can only be seen on a computer screen, because it is back-lit. But it is the ephemeral nature of this evidence that makes exploration so addictive. As for the excavations, they always throw up the unexpected and usually pose more questions,” said Martin.

His interest in this particular route began when his wife Dawn bought him an old local map and he spotted what looked like an ancient road on it. The owner of the land referred to it as the ‘Roman road’ and as Martin traced its line across the Teifi and up into western Ceredigion he became increasingly convinced that it was indeed Roman.

“I could see it heading for the river Teifi and it continued in the same line for miles the other side. The route goes past the Penllwyndu pub in Llangoedmor and right past Tafarn y Bugail farm, now down a track. It makes sense that an inn would have been sited on a main route as it would not get much custom if it was off the beaten track,” explained Martin.

Martin prefers being out and about making new discoveries rather than researching in a library, but poring over old maps and aerial views is how possible sites are discovered.

“I’ll make a test hole with a spade, around 1’6” square, then investigate with a trowel to see if there is a road. I remember making a three foot deep dig with the land owner’s permission in Llangwyryrfon with a large bull watching over me all day,” laughed Martin.

“It can be a strange experience. It’s like dropping into another era. One minute you are in 2017, the next you descend to perhaps 1000 AD or whenever the road last saw the light of day. It’s very weird. Roman roads were built for the purpose of conquering the countryside and getting from A to B quickly.”

But making these discoveries hasn’t been easy.

“It is very exciting to find things. You can be exploring all day and find nothing, then just as you are about to prepare to leave for home, you find something exciting and interesting and it makes it all worthwhile.”

To date, local archaeologists haven’t taken this forward, so this book has been written to ensure that the results of his exploration are not forgotten and remain available for others to build on in the future.

The 58-page booklet has 98 illustrations including photos, Lidar, maps and road sections can be purchased at local bookshops in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion priced at £10 a copy. Failing this, it can be ordered from gwales.com.