Discover Caerleon

Caerleon brings together several tangible traces of Roman history: a fortress, an amphitheatre, barracks, a Roman bath and a museum. Each offers a different focus – from the purpose of the fortress and the legionaries’ daily lives to the finds and stories connected with the Roman past.

Roman buildings and their functions

The Romans built a fortress in Caerleon in AD 75, which remained in use for more than 200 years. The Caerleon Roman Amphitheatre was built around AD 90 to entertain the legionaries stationed at Caerleon’s fortress (Isca). The dates place the two buildings in context: the fortress is the earlier point of reference, and the amphitheatre followed roughly 15 years later. The fortress remains the earlier chronological reference point; the amphitheatre served to entertain the stationed legionaries.

Barracks and museum: daily life and collections

At the Caerleon Roman Barracks, the internal layout takes centre stage. The long parallel rows contain twelve pairs of small rooms for legionaries, connected to a larger block for the centurion and his staff. The difference between the groups of rooms illustrates the cramped but orderly life of the legionaries. The account of the barracks therefore focuses not only on the rooms themselves, but also on the organisation of everyday Roman military life.

The National Roman Legion Museum is located within the surviving remains of Caerleon’s Roman fortress. It researches, preserves and displays half a million objects from the Roman forts of Caerleon and Usk and their surrounding areas. The location and the collection have different geographical contexts: the museum is situated in the remains of Caerleon’s fortress, while its objects also include finds from Usk and the surrounding area.

Arthurian legend, Roman bath and cycle route

Another interpretation of the amphitheatre is part of Arthurian legend. In Geoffrey of Monmouth’s account, the ruins of the Caerleon Roman Amphitheatre are described as the remains of King Arthur’s Round Table. This identification belongs to Arthurian legend and should be distinguished from the building’s Roman history.

A covered walkway at the Caerleon Roman Baths offers a view of an original Roman bath.

National Cycle Network Route 88 offers a different focus from the Roman sites. Over a seven-mile stretch, it follows the banks of the River Usk and connects Newport with Caerleon. Route 88 includes a walkway made from recycled materials, running above the floodplain. It was designed so that the route would not be flooded during high water. While Caerleon’s Roman sites tell the story of its past, Route 88 runs along the banks of the River Usk.

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