The 2,000-yr-old, 160-mile road hidden in plain sight as it runs length of Wales
IT’S immense but relatively unknown – a historic jewel right beneath our feet.
Yet this ancient Roman road running the entire length of the country seems destined to remain one of Wales’ best-kept secrets.
In a country with three National Trials, and any number of waymarked routes, Sarn Helen ranks low for public awareness.
Traversing the country from Conwy in the north to Neath in the south, the route was an early sign of the fate that awaited Wales in the next two millennia: built by colonists, it was used to cart away the country’s rich natural resources such as lead, copper and gold.
Born out of practicality, it’s since become embued with romance, mystery and myth.
It remains part-hidden, partused, a piece of living history on which walkers swear they can hear distant echoes of the Roman legionaries who once trudged along it.
The route is named after Celtic princess Elen Lwyddawg, a Celtic saint from Caernarfon who was an early founder of churches in Wales.
She was the beautiful maiden said to have haunted the dreams of Magnus Maximus, a Roman emperor who arrived in Britain in around 368AD.
Elen’s story is told in the Mabinogion, which recalls how she married Maximus who, as Macsen Wledig, became a hero in Wales by granting her father sovereignty over Britain.
According to folklore, it was Elen who persuaded her Roman husband to build roads across the country so that his soldiers could more easily defend it.
Sadly, the dates don’t chime: by necessity, the Romans laid down their roads shortly after arriving in Britain in the first century, 300 years before Elen was reputed to have started pushing for improved transport infrastructure.
Some Roman roads followed even older Celtic routes, most of which have since been absorbed into modern road networks.
Others remain, stretching out across the wilder reaches of Wales.
Several have been linked together to form what we now know as Sarn Helen, which runs 160 miles down the length of the country.
Many motorists travelling along Wales’ main roads and country lanes do so without realising they’re following this old Roman route.
Author Tom Bullough walked the length of Sarn Helen in 2020 to produce a book named after it.
Of the Conwy estuary terminus he wrote: “Here, 1,900 years ago, the Roman galleys would ride the tides to land or collect their supplies and men. Here it was that Sarn Helen ended and the rest of the world began.”
The route follows the western bank of the Afon Conwy from Canovium, a Roman fort built at Caerhun to safeguard the important river crossing at Tal y Cafn.
It passes through Trefriw, then leads to Betws y Coed, with a branch leading to Caer Llugwy near Capel Curig.
The route continues through Dolwyddelan, running through the “hidden valley” of Cwm Penamnen and past upper Cwm Penmachno.
From there, it heads past Llan Ffestiniog to the strategically important Roman fort of Tomen y Mur, near Trawsfynydd, before continuing south towards Dolgellau.
The next leg continues south and passes over the saddle of Waen Llefenni and on to Aberllefenni.
Here, it’s thought that part of the narrow-gauge Corris Railway may run along part of the route.
Further south, it needs to cross the Afon Dyfi: it’s possible this was originally achieved via a ford or ferry at Pennal, west of the new Dyfi Bridge, which was also guarded by a small Roman fort, Cefn Caer.
Through Ceredigion, the road continued through Bronant, Stag’s Head and Llanio before heading to the Dolaucothi Gold Mines and terminating in Carmarthen.
Along the way, north of Llandovery, is a spur running through the southern edge of Bannau Brycheiniog National Park to Brecon.
This then turns south to Neath and the South Wales coast.
Sarn Helen is a route that, at first glance, appears distinctly un-Roman.
It curves, bends and, in places, disappears.
There are stretches flanked by typically Roman-like ditches which may in fact be 20th-century additions.
On the 33-mile spur through Bannau Brycheiniog, stone slabs on the track are visible reminders of its Roman origins.
There are others. Next to the path is a 10ft stone pillar known as Maen Madoc, one of several in the area.
It’s weather-worn, but it’s still possible to make out the Latin inscription carved into the stone.
They’re words to remember a fallen Roman soldier, “Here lies Dervacus, son of Iustus”.
In parts of North Wales, there are roads named after transport systems that have since disappeared, such as Heol Camlas (Canal Road) in Gwersyllt, which was built over Wrexham’s “lost canal”.
Any number of Station Roads exist that are no longer served by railway stations but are still fondly remembered.
In Neath is a housing estate called Roman Way to mark one end of Sarn Helen.
In this case, the 2,000-yearold transport system still remains.
Yet when author Tom Bullough visited, few residents knew about the name’s context or significance.