Caerleon amphitheatre
By: shortfinals
Tags: 13th century, 300AD, 410AD, 75 - 300AD, 75AD, amphitheatre, bath houses, Caerleon, Camelot, County of Gwent, extensive bath houses, Gwent, history, Isca Silurum, King Arthur, Legio Augusta, Legio II Augusta, Legion's engineers, municipal buildings, Newport, River Usk, Roman baths, Roman fortress, Romans, sand under your feet, South Wales, spectacular museum, stone-built castle, Wales
Category: British Isles, Castles, Great Britain, military, Museums, Wales
| Aperture: | f/7.1 |
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| Focal Length: | 7mm |
| ISO: | 100 |
| Shutter: | 1/0 sec |
| Camera: | MVC-CD500 |
Amphitheatre at Caerleon
The remains of the amphitheatre at Caerleon, on the River Usk, close to Newport, Wales, are spectacular. They should be, given that the Roman fortress here, Isca Silurum, was the headquarters of the Legio II Augusta for more than 200 years, from 75 – 300AD. There were many municipal buildings, and the Legion’s engineers built extensive bath houses (which have been excavated, and now form a spectacular museum). Later, Caerleon was associated with King Arthur, and given as one of the possible sites for Camelot. Obviously, with the withdrawal of the Legions from Britain in 410AD, this place fell into a slow decline; it wasn’t until the establishment of a stone-built castle in the 13th century that it began to grow again.
Now, when you stand in the amphitheatre, you can almost feel the sand under your feet, and hear the roar of the beasts, matched only by the roar of the crowd. This site positively reeks of history. If you are ever in the County of Gwent, in South Wales, do NOT miss this; it is well worth the trip.
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