Royal Commission aerial reconnaissance during the 2018 drought, between 13th and 17th July, identified a series of cropmarks showing the intermittent buried agger of the Roman road, flanking quarry pits or road side ditches suggesting a direct route between Carmarthen and Kidwelly, running south through Cwmffrwd and Idole (fossilised by a minor road), south past LiDAR evidence (500m of the low earthwork of the agger showing running north-south) and parchmarks of a single quarry pit at Fforest Uchaf (NPRN 415842, SN 421 144), as a faint parchmark with a flanking roadside ditch at Bwlch y Gwynt (NPRN 423818, SN 419 136), south to Llandyfaelog (no visible evidence), and then with striking parchmarks of an agger and quarry pits south of Nantllan (NPRN 423819, SN 416 111) and low earthworks of a holloway and parchmarks of quarry pits below and to the east of the modern A484 road approaching Kidwelly between Pontmorlais cottage and Pant-glas (NPRN 423820, SN 418 096).

In light of the 2018 drought discoveries, analysis of LiDAR showed the survival of 350m of probable agger (NPRN 423833) entering Kidwelly town from the north, emerging from the line of the modern A484 road south of Llys y Gorlan (SN 415 079), emerging on the south side of the modern roundabout and running south-west fossilised by a track or lane for 215m, and then continuing the line of the track as an earthwork agger on LiDAR for a further 175m towards Millands Farm. Evidence suggests a crossing of the Gwendraeth river beyond Middle Mill around SN 412 0710 and the probable existence of a Roman installation or port on the Gwendraeth in the vicinity of Kidwelly.

A few Roman finds have been reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme, however, principally from the area north-west of the castle (including a denarius of Antonius Pius, A.D. 151?2 (ID No. 362857) and a first-century Polden-Hill-type bow brooch (ID No. 63592)), while a counterfeit denarius of Julia Titi (ID No. 96984) was recovered by a metal-detectorist from the newly identified road line west of Millands Farm (SN 411 073).

References:

Driver, T., Burnham, B C, and Davies, J. L. 2020. Roman Wales: Aerial Discoveries and New Observations from the Drought of 2018. Britannia. 1-29.

Driver, T. 2021. Aerial Archaeology in Wales during the 2018 drought: Major Discoveries. Archaeology in Wales 59, 96-114.

James, H. and Driver, T., 2021. New Discoveries on the Roman road between Carmarthen and Kidwelly. The Carmarthenshire Antiquary Vol. 56 (2020). 1-12

T. Driver 2019; revised 2023