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Tours > Wales > Caerleon
Caerleon
Known to the Romans as Isca Silurium, Caerleon is one of the largest Roman military strongholds in northern Europe. It also claims fame (along with various other cities in Britain) as the capital of King Arthur.
The Romans established their fortress here about 75 AD, building their gateways, barracks, shops, hospital, temples and baths to supply and comfort the soldiers of the elite 2nd Augustan Legion, a permanent garrison of around 6000 men. They also built the best-preserved Roman amphitheatre in Britain, called by locals "King Arthur's Round Table." Here, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth, King Arthur sleeps, surrounded by his faithful knights, waiting the call to serve his country once again (though this time he would presumably be fighting for the people of Great Britain, not just the Welsh against the Saxon invaders.
The amphitheatre is found southwest of town, on the B4236 from Newport to Pontypool just off the M4 that begins in London and comes into Wales over the River Severn. Once holding up to 6,000 spectators, it consists of a hollowed oval, surrounded by an earth bank and supported by stone walls. There were two entrances for performers and six for spectators, all clearly visible today. The nearby barracks had 64 blocks, built of stone in the second century, but only the lower course ground plan of four blocks remains.
In the 1960's the Roman baths came to light; the most complete example of their kind in Britain, and of a complexity rarely found even in Italy. In their sumptuousness, complexity and facilities they have been likened to today's leisure centers, with cold, warm, and hot rooms and exercise and catering rooms. The Legionary Museum is a branch of the National Museum of Wales that brings ancient Isca Silurium to life with imaginative, colorful displays of the Roman occupation.
Next Stop: Newport
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