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There
is evidence of Iron Age farming in and around Caerleon, however the land lay
within the territory of the Silures, a tribe whose conquest cost by the Romans took time and blood. Wales
was pacified around AD 75 by The Romans who chose Caerleon a location for one
of three permanent legionary fortresses of Roman Britain. Together with Chester, Caerleon was responsible for the military administration of the Welsh tribes.
The Romans knew the area as Isca named for the river beside which the fortress
was built. Isca was garrisoned by the Second Augustan Legion; the soldiers of the legion not only built the fortress,
but also the network of roads and auxiliary forts through which the newly-subdued tribes were controlled.
At its peak
the fortress was a small town in itself, with a garrison of 5500 professional soldiers. Within the walls were barracks, a
large baths complex, drill halls, workshops and granaries. An amphitheatre was, built just outside the fortress walls, was
used by the army for training, as well as gladiatorial shows. Roads leading out of the fortress were lined with cemeteries,
as burial was not permitted within the bounds of built-up areas.
Isca remained the base of the second Augustan
Legion for over two centuries, although much of the garrison was posted elsewhere for long periods. The Second Legion fought
in Scotland and built a share of Hadrian's Wall and the Antonine Wall, while detachments fought in the Empire's wars abroad. The fortress must have been partially
abandoned at times, for dedication stones record the periodic reconstruction of buildings which had fallen down, probably
due to neglect.
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The
army abandoned Isca toward towards the end of the third century AD, after dismantling or demolishing some of the major
buildings. Many others remained standing and in use long after the departure of the army; the fortress remained inhabited
following the end of Roman rule in the fifth century AD. The still-standing fortress baths were turned into cattle-pens and
small structures were built among the ruins inside and outside the fortress walls.
Roman Caerleon is linked in legend
with King Arthur. The Mabinogion and Geoffrey of Monmouth, among others, site King Arthur's court at Caerleon, while
the overgrown ruin of the amphitheatre became linked with the Round Table.
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Julius
and Aaron, two early Christians, were martyred at Caerleon, possibly in the early fourth century, a church dedicated to them
stood across the river from Caerleon on Chepstow Hill. The dedication of Caerleon Church to the Celtic St. Cadoc suggests a pre-Norman date for
its foundation, possibly as a Welsh clas, although this is uncertain.
Caerleon castle appears in the Domesday
book, and was probably founded by Caradoc ap Gryffyd, Lord of Caerleon, or his son Owain. Castle and lordship remained in
Welsh hands, with some interruptions, until the thirteenth century.
Medieval Caerleon was largely sustained by its market and port; ships from Caerleon maintained a thriving trade
across the Severn and reached as far as Portugal. Profits from trade paid
for a market house on the High Street and for large town houses; two sixteenth century houses survive as the Hanbury Arms
and the Bull Inn. The town remained small, occupying less than half of the area of the fortress. As a result, much of the
below-ground Roman remains survive.
Caerleon was largely bypassed by the Industrial Revolution, which was concentrated
in the Valleys and these looked to Newport as an outlet for their products
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Our opening Monday – Thursday 11am – 11pm & Friday, Saturday 11am - Midnight, Sunday 12 Noon –
10.30pm.
The Goldcroft Inn, 35 Goldcroft Common, Caerleon, Newport NP18 1NG
T: +44 (0) 1633 420504
E: info@thegoldcroftinn.co.uk
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