Caerleon

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Caerleon
Welsh: Caerllion
Caerleon shown within the United Kingdom
Population	8,708 (2001 census)
OS grid reference	ST336909
Principal area	Newport
Ceremonial county	Gwent
Constituent country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	NEWPORT
Postcode district	NP18
Dialling code	01633
Police	Gwent
Fire	South Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
European Parliament	Wales
UK Parliament	Newport West
List of places: UK • Wales • Newport

Coordinates: 51°36′54″N 2°57′32″W / 51.615, -2.959

Caerleon (Welsh: Caerllion) is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk [1] in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport (of which it is also an electoral ward) in south-east Wales.

1 Geography
2 History
3 Arthurian legend
4 Sport
5 Arts Festival and Roman Military Spectacular
6 External links
7 See also

[edit] Geography

A view of Caerleon from Beechwood. The River Usk and Caerleon Golf Course can be seen in the foreground, with the university campus on the far right.

The centre of Caerleon sits in the Usk valley and the river forms part of the community's southern boundary. In the northern part of the village, across the railway, the land rises sharply up to Lodge Wood and its hill fort. The community's western boundary is formed by the A4042 road and the northern one partly by the Malthouse Road and partly by the River Llwyd which flows southwards along the village's eastern side. Across the river, in the region of Penrhos Farm, are two Civil War forts. Across the Usk, St Julian's Park, the village of Christchurch and the upland region around Christchurch Hill as far as the M4 motorway and the A449 road are also within the community. It is also home to a large campus of the University of Wales, Newport.

[edit] History

[edit] Roman fortress

Remains of the amphitheatre

Main article: Isca Augusta

Caerleon is a site of considerable archaeological importance, being the site of a Roman legionary fortress (it was the headquarters for Legio II Augusta from about 75 to 300 AD) and an Iron Age hill fort. The name Caerleon is derived from the Welsh for "fortress of the legion"; the Romans themselves called it Isca. Substantial excavated Roman remains can be seen, including the military amphitheatre, baths and barracks. According to Gildas (followed by Bede), Roman Caerleon was the site of two early Christian martyrdoms, that of Julius and Aaron.

[edit] Middle Ages

The parish church of St Cadoc was founded on the site of the legionary headquarters building probably sometime in the 6th century. A Norman-style motte and bailey castle was built outside the eastern corner of the old Roman fort, probably by the Lord of Caerleon, Caradog ap Gruffydd. Caerleon was an important market and port and became a borough by 1171. Both castle and borough were seized by William Marshal in 1217 and the castle was rebuilt in stone. The remains of many of the old Roman buildings stood to some height until this time and were probably demolished for their building materials.

[edit] Georgian and Victorian times

The old wooden bridge at Caerleon was destroyed in a storm in 1779 and the present stone version was erected in the early 19th century. Until the Victorian development of the downstream docks at Newport, Caerleon acted as the major port on the Usk river. The wharf was located on the right bank, to the west of today's river bridge which marked the limit of navigability for masted ships. A tin plate works was established on the outskirts of the town around this time and Caerleon expanded to become almost joined to Newport.

[edit] Arthurian legend

Geoffrey of Monmouth makes Caerleon one of the most important cities in Britain in his Historia Regum Britanniæ. He gives it a long glorious history from its founding by King Belinus then making it the location of a metropolitan see, an Archbishopric superior to Canterbury and York under Saint Dubricius. He was followed by St David who moved the archbishopric to St David's Cathedral. This builds up to its use by Geoffrey as a Court for King Arthur.

Caerleon is one of the sites most often connected with King Arthur's capital later called Camelot. There was no Camelot mentioned in the early Arthurian traditions recorded by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Wace, and Layamon. These early Arthurian authors say that Arthur's capital was in Caerleon, and even the later recaster of Arthurian material, Sir Thomas Malory, has Arthur re-crowned at "Carlion". It has been suggested that the still-visible Roman amphitheatre at Caerleon is the source of the 'Round-Table' element of the tales, and was used for discussion and entertainment. (The "Camelot" reference originates with the French writer of courtly romance, Chrétien de Troyes.)

Geoffrey of Monmouth writes of Caerleon in the mid 12th century:

"For it was located in a delightful spot in Glamorgan, on the River Usk, not far from the Severn Sea. Abounding in wealth more than other cities, it was suited for such a ceremony. For the noble river I have named flows along it on one side, upon which the kings and princes who would be coming from overseas could be carried by ship. But on the other side, protected by meadow and woods, it was remarkable for royal palaces, so that it imitated Rome in the golden roofs of its buildings... Famous for so many pleasant features, Caerleon was made ready for the announced feast." (Historia Regum Britanniae "History of the Kings of Britain")

This is only a short part of a description which emphasises the power and wealth of Arthur's court, a description transferred later to Camelot. The huge scale of the ruins along with Caerleon's importance as a urban centre in early mediæval Gwent would have inspired stories which Geoffrey expanded on.

Caerleon also has later Arthurian literary associations, as the birthplace of the writer Arthur Machen who often used it as a location in his work. Alfred Lord Tennyson also wrote his Idylls of the King overlooking the Usk in a bay window of what is now the saloon bar of the Hanbury Arms public house. Today there is in Caerleon a statue of a knight made of reflecting inox. It is called 'The Hanburyknight' and reminds of the Hanbury Arms public house. The statue is made by Thierry Lauwers, a Belgian sculptor.^[1]

In Michael Morpurgo's novel Arthur, High King of Britain, Caerleon is the castle where Arthur unknowingly commits incest with his half-sister Margause, resulting in the conception of his bastard son Mordred, who will later bring about his downfall.

Caerleon in 1800

[edit] Sport

Caerleon is home to the Celtic Manor Resort, location of the 2010 Ryder Cup. Caerleon also has a good quality 9-hole municipal golf course and driving range, however, during winter months the golf course is prone to flooding due to its situation next to the river Usk.

The association football club Caerleon A.F.C. are based in Caerleon along with two rugby union clubs; Newport High School Old Boys RFC and Caerleon RFC.

[edit] Arts Festival and Roman Military Spectacular

Caerleon hosts an Arts festival in July each year which includes tree sculptors from around the world. Many of the sizeable sculptures are retained around Caerleon as local landmarks. The Arts festival coincides with the Roman Military re-enactment in the amphitheatre, demonstrating Roman military armour, fighting techniques on foot and horseback and machines such as ballista.