Carmarthen, known in Welsh as Caerfyrddin, is situated on the River Towy in south-west Wales, about thirteen kilometres north of its estuary at Carmarthen Bay.

The town is positioned in the area where the river valley opens towards the sea, and where routes across South Wales converge, making it historically important as both a river port and a defensive stronghold.

Neighbouring localities include Llanelli to the south-east, Haverfordwest to the west, and the rural communities of the Tywi Valley stretching northwards into central Wales. The surrounding region, historically known as Ystrad Tywi, formed part of the early medieval Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth.

Long before Carmarthen became a town, the wider area belonged to the Demetae, an Iron Age tribe whose territory later gave rise to the name Dyfed. Their settlement was Moridunum, the Roman name for the site that would become Carmarthen.

Archaeological evidence holds that the Roman recognised the strategic value of the location and established a fort at the site in 75 AD, making it one of the earliest and most enduring Roman foundations in Wales. Serving as a military outpost during Rome's push into western Britain, it later developed into a civilian town with stone buildings, cobbled streets, and industrial activity.

The Roman settlement included one of the only two known Roman amphitheatres in Wales, located about a kilometre from the fort. Continuous habitation from the Roman period onward gives Carmathen a strong claim to being the oldest town in Wales.

By the early Middle Ages, the settlement was known as Llanteulyddog, one of the principal ecclesiastical centres (cantrefi) of Dyfed. After the Norman conquest of Wales, Carmarthen's strategic importance led to the construction of Carmarthen Castle, transforming the town into a centre of royal administration.

During this period, Carmarthen consisted of two distinct settlements: Old Carmarthen, centred around the Augustinian priory, and New Carmarthen, clustered around the Norman castle. These were merged into a single borough in 1546.

The town received several royal charters, including a significant one from Henry III in 1227, which expanded its trading privileges. By the 16th to 18th centuries, Carmarthen had become the most populous borough in Wales, described by William Camden as the "chief citie of the country."

Carmarthen's location on the navigable River Towy made it a thriving port and market town, exporting wool, leather, and agricultural produce. Its status as the sole wool staple for Wales, granted by Edward III in 1353, further cemented its economic importance.

Culturally, Carmarthen is deeply associated with Welsh legend. The Welsh name Caerfyrddin is traditionally linked to Merlin, the wizard of Arthurian tradition, whose birthplace some medieval sources place in the area. The town also produced one of the oldest surviving Welsh manuscripts, the Black Book of Carmarthen, created by monks at the local priory between 1150 and 1250.

Carmarthen's fortunes fluctuated through the medieval and early modern periods, affected by plague, taxation, and conflict, including its capture by Owain Glyndŵr in 1405. It remained a centre of administration under the Acts of Union (1536), becoming the primary judicial hub for South Wales.

Industrial activity arrived in the 18th century with iron smelting and later tinplate manufacture, though Carmarthen today retains more of its character as an agricultural market town than an industrial centre.

Carmarthen's riverside location, early Roman foundations, and rich medieval heritage make it one of Wales' most historically layered communities.

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