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CHAPTER 4 : CAERLEON THROUGH THE CENTURIES TO THE YEAR 2000
4.01 Legend has it that Christianity was brought to the Caerleon area by Joseph of Arimathea about 40 years after the death of Christ. Caerleon was one of the earliest settlements of the faith. The old City was intimately associated with the introduction of Christianity. The capital of 'Britannia Secunda' really was the cradle of the early British Church which took root soon after the capture of the Silurian Prince Caractacus in AD50. The author of the 'Memoirs of Monmouthshire' avers that the Christian faith was preached and planted at Caerleon “in the 63rd year after our Saviour's incarnation". Percy Enderbie, the historian of Llantarnam, in his Cambria Triumpans says “Llandaff is one of the most ancient British Sees, either in England or Wales, and claims direct succession from the Archbishops of Caerleon and Usk".
4.02 In AD156, Lleirwg, King of the Britain's, is said to have sent his ambassadors Elfan and Medwy to Eleutherius, the Pope, asking that he and his people might be Christianised. According to Matthew of Westminster, the church of Caerleon was made the third archiepiscopal see in Britain in AD185.
4.03 A Bishop of Caerleon was present at the Council of Arles in AD314.
4.04 Caerleon was one of the palaces or seats of government of the kings of South Wales who established themselves after the Romans withdrew.
4.05 The period after the Romans departure is poorly documented. The river might have remained in use for the purposes of trade which must have continued to some extent. Agricultural produce would have been traded largely and it is possible that the small scale industrial process of iron and brick operated by the Romans were carried on.
4.06 In the early 500's, St Dubricus is said to have acted as Archbishop of Caerleon. He resigned the Archbishopric to David, the patron Saint of Wales in AD519. Tradition records that Saint David was King Arthur's Uncle. The church found Caerleon too noisy and moved the See westwards to St David's in Dyfed (where it remains to this day) in accordance with a prophecy of Merlin that “Menevia shall be dressed in the pall of the City of the Legions". Caerleon continued as a metropolitan see until Archbishop Samson retired to Brittany in AD920.
4.07 The parish church is dedicated to St Cadog of LLancarvon, the Patron Saint of Caerleon and one of the great Celtic Saints of the 6th Century. St Cadoc or St Cadocus was son to Gunleus or St Woolos by his wife Gladusa. An article about St Cadoc’s Church published by the Gwent Local History Council in 1981 is at Annex 4.
4.08 The City of Caerleon was ransacked by Saxons and Welshmen in the 6th and 7th Centuries.
4.09 Many Welsh Princes are reported to be buried in Caerleon. The last was Rhodri Molwynawe who ruled from AD720 to 755. He was the victor at the historic Battle of Mynydd Carn in Powys in 728 when he completely routed the Saxons under Aethelbold, King of Mercia.
4.10 In AD891, The Black Pagans (Danes) came over the Severn burnt Llantwit Major and devastated Gwent. But Morgan, Prince of Morganwg, attacked them below Caerleon and drove them over the sea.
4.11 In AD915, the Danes invaded Gwent. History tells us that they were met just below Caerleon by Morgan Hen who inflicted on them a terrible defeat forcing them to escape by water. The wreck of a Danish vessel was found near the mouth of the River Usk during the building of the Alexandra Dock in 1878. It appears likely that it was left after the defeat of the Danes. They returned in AD916 and wrought a terrible revenge.
4.12 In AD958, King Edgar visited Caerleon and settled a dispute between Morgan, the reigning Prince of Wales, and Owen ap Howell Dda.
4.13 In AD970, Alfred, Earl of Mercia sent a fleet to attack Caerleon. It was repulsed with heavy loss of life.
4.14 In AD972, King Edgar, with a large Saxon force, came against all Wales and marched as far as Caerleon. He plundered all churches, abbeys and houses.
4.15 In AD976, the Vikings sent a fleet to attack and burn the City. Caerleon lay in ruins. Much of the stone removed from the city is said to have been used in the building of Brecon Castle.
4.16 In AD 987 Jestyn, son of Owen, inherited the Lordship of Caerleon.
4.17 The parish church of Caerleon ‑ built around AD1000‑1100 ‑ is reputed at one stage to have been dedicated to St Tegfedd. She lived in Caerleon and was accused of witchcraft. She was driven out of the town and stoned to death at Llandegfedd.
4.18 In AD1031 Griffith, son of Rhydderch, became lord of Caerleon and fortified the town.
4.19 In AD1057 Caradoc ap Griffiths, who later assisted King Harold at the Battle of Hastings, became Lord of Caerleon.
4.20 The Doomsday Survey of 1086 records that Turstin Fritz Rou Le Blanc, bearer of William the Conquerors standard at the Battle of Hastings, held land in Caerleon.
4.21 The Doomsday Book contains several references (under Herefordshire) to Caerleon. The town is mentioned among the lands possessed by William de Sochies, one of the great Norman chieftains, The land is described as “Castellaria de Callion". But, it is unlikely that he occupied the town or was able to disposes its native owner, Caradoc ap Gryffyd, a representative of the Welsh Princes, or his son Owain.
4.22 During the half‑century after the conquest, Caerleon was more unsettled than most other places. In the struggles of the Normans to take the City from the Welsh it is not unlikely that it was taken and re‑taken several times.
4.23 The Normans also built a castle in Caerleon. The Doomsday Book records the castle as having been established by 1086 and states "William de Scohies holds 8 carucates of land in the jurisdiction of Carlion Castle". The original Castle was in all probability a timber tower on top of a mound surrounded by a ditch. In later years, the timber structure was replaced by a solid stone tower and extensive walls were added. The mound is still visible even behind the high Mynde walls. It is said that a stone passage was found in the mound leading towards the centre of the town. The Castle might have included the old Roman walls as an outer defence. The mound was surrounded by a moat until 1839. It was probably approached by a drawbridge. Two towers guarded its base and a flight of stairs led to the tower. The castle changed hands several times from Welshman to Norman. It collapsed in 1739. One surviving tower of the castle, next to the Hanbury Arms, is built entirely of Roman stones (as are almost all the older buildings in the town). A Mr Walter Norman, who died in 1762, is recorded as mounting the summit of the castle walls when he was a boy in the late 1600's and could see from there the hills of Somerset over the Severn River.
4.24 In his book, "Historia Regum Brittaniae” written in 1133, Geoffrey of Monmouth makes several references to Caerleon ‑ "The City of the Legions". These are recorded in Annex 1.
4.25 Being the capital City of the area, it must have been held with some tenacity. While neighbouring towns submitted to Norman power, there lingered at Caerleon a shadow of the ancient regime of Welsh princes. During the 11th and 12th centuries, Welsh warriors and petty chieftains styled themselves as Lords of Caerleon. Few records exist for this period of Caerleon's history although it is known that life in the area was frequently violent. For example:
a) in 1160, Caerleon taken by the Earl of Gloucester and recaptured by lorwerth ap Owen;
b) in 1171, King Henry 11 marched into Gwent en route to Ireland. On arrival at Caerleon, the King immediately took possession of the Lordship from lorwerth ap Owen and garrisoned the castle with his own men and lost no time in marching on Ireland. Caerleon was left in command of the Earl of Bristol;
c) in 1173, a battle was fought at Caerleon between the men of Henry II and lorwerth ap Owen, Prince of South Wales and his son Howel ap lorwerth. They captured Caerleon from the Normans and then ravaged the countryside as far as Chepstow; and
d) in 1175 the Normans re‑gained possession of the castle but it was restored to lorwerth later that year.
4.26 In 1175, Howel was knighted by Henry II and is referred to in the Welsh pedigrees as "Sir Howel of Caerlleon". Howel was succeeded by his son, Meredydd, who died without issue. His brother, Morgan ap Howel, inherited the Lordship.
4.27 In 1179, a religious community with strong Welsh traditions arrived in Caerleon from the famous Cistercian House of Strata Florida in West Wales. After a brief sojourn in Caerleon, during which time the Priory was built on land given by Hywel ap lorwerth, Lord of Caerleon, on the site of old Roman stables, the community established itself at Llantarnam. Three Monks and a Priest remained at Caerleon to administer to the local population. The religious foundation was known in the early period of its history as the Abbey of Caerleon but, at a later date it was designated by its exact location, the Abbey of Llantarnam. An article about the Priory published by the Gwent Local History Council in 1987 is at Annex 5.
4.28 Archbishop Baldwin of Canterbury ‑ who was engaged in preaching the Third Crusade ‑ visited Caerleon in 1188. In his train was Gerald Cambrensis, Archdeacon of Brecon; and a full description of Gerald's journey through Caerleon is recorded at Annex 2.
4.29 There was a prophet in Caerleon in Gerald's day. His name was Meilir and he could foretell events through the evil spirits which appeared to him. He could not read but where he found a false statement in a book he saw an evil spirit perched on it.
4.30 William Marshal The Elder, Earl of Pembroke, supported King Richard and tried to prevent usurpation of power by Prince John. In 1217, Marshal captured the Welsh stronghold of Caerleon for the Crown and separated it from the rest of the Lordship which remained in Welsh hands.
4.31 In 1220, Morgan ap Howel instituted legal proceedings in the Kings courts against William Marshall for the seizure of Caerleon. One of the Close Rolls dated 15 Henry Ill May 4 1220 states that Morgan appeared before the King to present his case. Morgan is presumed to have won the day because in 1221, Caerleon is found to be in his possession.
4.32 In 1231, William Marshall attacked Caerleon. The garrison was put to the sword and the castle burnt.
4.33 In 1235, Morgan, with Llewellyn, Prince of Wales attacked the Castle and laid it to waste.
4.34 The first references to the Manor of Caerleon are to be found in the Patent Rolls of 1253. Two articles published by the Gwent Local History Council in 1938 about the medieval Manor or Borough of Caerleon are at Annex 6.
4.35 In 1236, Morgan ap Howel received back some of his lands in Caerleon. Morgan died in 1248 and was succeeded by Meredydd ap Gruffudd.
4.36 On 23 June 1258, a great storm affected Caerleon. The whole of the crops on the banks of the river Usk were swept away by the floods. Many lives were lost and much damage was done to farmsteads, bridges and buildings.
4.37 In 1270, Gilbert de Clare seized the Lordship from William Ferrer and retained it until his death in 1295. His son, also named Gilbert, retained it until he died in 1314. The inquisitio of Gilbert de Clare described Caerleon thus:
Kairlion : the castle and town with the country of Edelegan and Lebennyth including the fishery on the Usk between Tredenauk and the weir of Kairlion and another at La Rokelr held of the king in chief with the royal liberty, service unknown;
Kairlion : the manor including lands at Westacoyt pastures called Warth and Smalewarth, toll of the boat of Kairlion called Warnage and rents of the assize in Netherwent with rent of the fee of Penclau, Liswiri and Lebennyth.
4.38 Gilbert de Clare's estates were divided among three co‑heiresses ‑ Caerleon fell to Elizabeth the youngest of the Clare sisters. But her brother in law Hugh Despenser secured the transfer to his own Lordship of Glamorgan. Edward Ill reversed the grant and the Lordship reverted to Elizabeth. For nearly a century, Caerleon was vested in the crown until Edward IV granted it to William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke whose son, Henry, was Lord of Caerleon in 1595.
4.39 There was a Jew in Caerleon before 1278 for on 16 February that year an order was issued to the Sheriff of Gloucester to go in person to Karleon to receive from the bailiffs of Gilbert de Clare, the goods of the late David of Caerleon, a Jew.
4.40 Meredydd ap Gruffudd died in 1278 when the Lordship of Caerleon was passed to William Ferrer, Earl of Gloucester.
4.41 Caerleon had a market and fair in 1296. A document dated 1370 mentions that a market was held every Tuesday and fairs on 1 November and the Tuesday after Holy Trinity. A directory dated 1858 states that fairs were held on the second Monday in February, 1 May, July 20 and September 21 and a market on the second Monday of each month.
4.42 From the late 1200's to 1440, Caerleon once again became a prosperous port through the wool trade. Wool was shipped from Caerleon ‑ via Bristol ‑ to Flanders in France. By 1550, however, the price of wool had fallen and the prosperity of the port diminished.
4.43 A Charter was granted to the burgesses of Kerdiff, Usk, Newport and Karlion by King Edward II in 1324 exempting them from tolls on goods other than wool, woolfells, hides, leather and wine. The charter demonstrated the importance of Caerleon and its trade across the English Channel with France and other continental countries. Also, there was much domestic traffic to the Severn Estuary and Bristol Channel ports.
4.44 There is reference to a Caerleon Park in the year 1382. An article about Caerleon Park published by the Gwent Local History Council in 1983 is at Annex 7.
4.45 Boats from Caerleon continued to trade from the port across the channel to Bristol and Atlantic ports like La Rochelle and Lisbon. Boats ran the grave risk of being attacked by pirates based on the Island of Lundy. The port of Bristol complained to the Admiralty. As a result, a guard ship was placed in the channel to protect shipping. In 1613, four ships of war were fitted out in Bristol to protect the cross‑channel trade.
4.46 Early in the 15th Century, Henry IV issued new laws to the effect that ships should discharge in some great port and not in any small river. Caerleon thus came under the jurisdiction of the Port of Cardiff.
4.47 Caerleon was occupied by Owain Glyndwr in 1402 and again in 1405 during the last great Welsh uprising against the English. His Breton auxiliaries, so absorbed by the glamour of Arthurian romance, failed to march out of Caerleon to secure the line of the Severn and thus keep the forces of Henry IV at bay. A chronicler, Adam of Usk, wrote..."Owen, in his marches, overthrew the castles, among which were Usk, Caerleon and Newport, and fired the towns sparing not even the churches".
4.48 The Caerleon area was described as being of little value because of the burning and devastation of tenements in the course of Glyndwr’s rebellion. In 1403, a "Post-mortem Inquisition" returned a verdict that the value of the lordship was not worth anything. The whole of the lordship was ruined, and the people with it.
4.49 The earliest reference to the mayor of Caerleon is believed to be in 1410 when a letter from the “Mayor and burgesses of Caerleon" was sent to the "Burgesses of Monmouth" informing them of Owen Glendower's activities in Carmarthen.
4.50 During the Wars of the Roses (1455‑1485), a skirmish took place in a field beside Caerleon during which the Yorkists were defeated.
4.51 The Priory was once a Cistercian Monastery until the Dissolution of monasteries in 1536.
4.52 On 31 March 1539, Henry VIII ordered that 10 mariners from Caerleon be installed to serve the King in the ship, The Trinity of Caerleon.
4.53 In 1539, John Leland travelled through England and Wales with the purpose of making first hand observations to write a book entitled "History and Antiquities". He completed his travels in 1545. His work was never completed and historians have been unable to locate unedited text relating to Caerleon. The following quote was drawn up from an article by W H Johns which appeared in the "Monmouthshire Melody":‑
"The Bridge of Cair‑leon is of wood. Some say that Caerleon should be in Base Ventland; some say nay. The Welshmen say that Caerleon is but VIII miles from Chepstow, but, indeed, it may be counted XII English miles. It standeth magnificently on the further side of Wische, one of the principal rivers of Wales, so that the great ships might well come now to the town as they did in the Romans' time, but that Newport Bridge is a lett. Nevertheless, big boats come to the town. The ruins of the wall of the town yet remain, and also of the castle. There is opinion that the old Roman Church was about Mr. X's house, where I lay. There on digging appeared certain paintings on stones. There were found at late certain incrustments hard by the castle. In the town is now but one parish church and that is of St. Caducus."
4.54 The Hanbury Arms, built in 1565, was once the Manor House of the City called “Ty Glyndwr” and has stood since the 16th Century. The Inn was ultimately named after Richard Hanbury, the Ironmaster, and used his Coat of Arms as the sign around 1750. Prior to this, the building was used as a private residence and trading took place from the house to a wide area across the Bristol Channel. The Riverside Room was used as a Magistrates Court in the 17th century with the round tower providing the lock‑up.
4.55 An article published by the Gwent Local History Council in 1989 entitled “River Trade and Shipping in Caerleon from the 16th to the 19th Century” is at Annex 8. The article refers to vessels sailing from Caerleon from 1565 to 1873.
4.56 A free school existed in Caerleon in 1587. 4.57 The first reference to the Almshouse, Caerleon was made in a Will dated 1st February 1592. An article published by the Gwent Local History Council in 1984 entitled “Caerleon Almshouse” is at Annex 9.
4.58 In the early 1600's, Caerleon was a centre of receipt and distribution of goods from the pastures and cornfields of the west of England, the iron foundries of Bristol and other commodities.
4.59 William, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, succeeded to the Lordship of Caerleon in 1603.
4.60 Although Caerleon had had fairs and markets since 1296, there is no record of a building to house them although a Survey of the Manor of Caerleon in 1622 refers to a Phillip Hughes being given permission “for building a hansume and convenient market house……” In the Spring of 1974, the Gwent Local History Council published an article entitled “Caerleon Market Hall”. The article refers to the 1622 survey; Caerleon’s fairs and markets and the history of Caerleon’s Market Hall/House. A copy of the article is at Annex 10.
4.61 Plague affected South Wales in 1638. Although there is no record of Caerleon being affected it is likely that it was given that the plague followed main roads.
4.62 In the 17th and 18th Centuries, there are records of the days when flat‑bottomed boats built at Llandogo‑on‑Wye sailed twice a week from Caerleon, tying up at Llandoger Trow, an inn where Defoe wrote Robinson Crusoe.
4.63 During the Civil War, Caerleon was used to store arms and ammunition. On 30 January 1645, a party from Raglan commanded by Lord Charles Somerset took Caerleon wherein were some 200 rebel foot soldiers and a troop of horse. Some of the rebels were killed, some drowned and the rest taken prisoner. Caerleon held stoutly for the King during the War. About three quarters of a mile to the north of Caerleon ‑ at Penrhos ‑ can be seen the remains of Royalist fortifications.
4.64 In 1649, trade in the Port of Caerleon was greater than in Newport. Caerleon was a terminal point in extensive cross channel traffic.
4.65 In 1653 the Market House was built (and Phillip Hughes deceased). It stood in the Market Square just outside the Bull Inn. The house collapsed in 1830 and Caerleon's market day was lost forever. The War Memorial now stands on the site.
4.66 The toll collector for the ports of Cardiff, John Byrd, lived in Caerleon; and left office in 1662 after being wrongfully accused of petitioning for the death of King Charles
4.67 Phillip Herbert, 7th Earl of Pembroke and Lord of Caerleon died in 1683 leaving a daughter. She married Thomas, Viscount Windsor, who became Lord of Caerleon.
4.68 Charles Williams fought a duel with his cousin, Edmund Morgan of Penrhos (just outside Caerleon). Charles killed Edmund in the fight in 1690 and then fled to Turkey ‑duelling was at this time illegal. With the assistance of family contacts he became extremely wealthy as a fig merchant. His family and friends used their influence back in Britain to arrange for his return. Eventually Queen Anne granted him a pardon. And so, as a middle aged man he bought his amnesty and came 'home'. It is not known if he ever returned to Caerleon (London became his new home) ‑ but his legacies were to have far reaching consequences for generations and generations of residents of the village. He died in 1720, aged 87, and was buried at Westminster Abbey. His Will revealed that he had bequeathed seven thousand pounds to a Trust Fund for assisting Caerleon and its inhabitants. Three thousand pounds for improvements to be made to the church and roads leading to it, the rest was to be spent on education. In 1724 a school was built ‑ the Endowed School ‑ at a cost of £500, the remaining money (as instructed in the will) was invested in land. The profits and rents from this investment were to be used for running the school. Due to the good investments made, the fund has grown substantially. In the early years coal was discovered under lands purchased by the fund bringing in huge revenues. More recently land owned by the fund has been sold to the local authority for a new housing estate. The first school took in 30 pupils, 20 boys and 10 girls (3 of the boys and one of the girls were from Ultra Pontem, just the other side of the River Usk, sometimes called 'Old Caerleon').
4.69 In 1706 a figure of the Goddess Diana moulded in alabaster was found "near a prodigious foundation wall of freestone on the north side of King Arthur's Round Table which was very wide and supposed to be one side of a Roman Amphitheatre".
4.70 During the years 1753 to 1755 RR Angerstein, a Swede, toured England and Wales making detailed notes and sketches of important industrial sites and processes. His first 'port of call' in Wales was the Forge at Caerleon. This was situated on the northern edge of the town beside the road to Pontypool. Here he observed water power driving the bellows and hammer used to heat and shape pig iron. As well as recording what he saw, he costed the process of bringing the iron from Abercarn, processing it and then transporting it to Bristol. There were at least three works in the vicinity of Caerleon in the eighteenth century - the forge which converted pig iron to bar iron; a black-plate mill which rolled iron into plates; and a tin mill. However, it is very difficult to be sure of the locations of these processes at different times. Angerstein says the forge was "a little way from the town" - it seems likely that this was, as suggested above, just on the northern edge of Caerleon beside the road to Pontypool. The tin works was almost certainly in Ponthir. Donovan, in his book Descriptive Excursions Through South Wales In The Year 1804 And The Four Preceding Summers described the 'tin-work' as being 'long since established' and 'at the distance of a mile and a half from the town (Caerleon), in the road to Ponty-pool'. Traces of these works can still be seen just across the railway line from Station Road, Ponthir. From the mid 1790s the tin works and the forge were on the route of the Caerleon Tramroad. Both works may have had machinery to roll the iron into sheets. In any case it seems likely that, at times at least, the works shared management and operated in conjunction. There is also evidence that iron working was carried out on a similar scale in the centre of Caerleon. The marriage and burial records of St Cadoc's Church, which gives details of occupations, show conclusively that a large proportion of the male residents were employed in some way in a forge or rolling and tin plating.
4.71 The first record of stage coaches stopping in Caerleon appears in 1754. The 15th Century Bull and 600 year old Bell Inns were coaching inns. The Red Lion was built in the 17th Century. The Drovers and Goldcroft Inns are ancient houses. The White Hart was built on the site of an older building but has not changed its name for it is referred to by Archdeacon Coxe in his "Historical Tour of Monmouthshire" in 1795. The Ship Inn was built in about 1830.
4.72 The first road to be built in Caerleon under the Turnpike Act 1755 was a road coming down Belmont Hill from Christchurch into Caerleon. This was the first road built in Caerleon since the Romans.
4.73 The Baptist Church in Castle Street opened in 1764.
4.74 The opening of the Monmouthshire Canal in 1766 and the Brecon Canal in 1811 opened up Newport as a more accessible port. Shipping from Caerleon diminished rapidly never to be recovered. In the late 1800's, the port facilities began to fall into disrepair and disuse. This was a serious blow to Caerleon. A census return in 1881 revealed that one in every four houses was uninhabited.
4.75 Caerleon tinplate works opened in 1758 bringing new prosperity in the latter half of the 18th Century. An article about the Tinplate works published by the Gwent Local History Council in 1980 is at Annex 11. A tramway was built in 1770 linking the works to the wharves at Caerleon. The tramway was later extended to link with the Monmouthshire Canal completed in 1796. A full note on the history of Caerleon Tramway is at Annex 12. The canal effectively meant the virtual extinction of the old port of Caerleon. The vessel “Iron and Tin Trader" continued to carry away the products of the tinplate works for a number of years and a weekly market boat, run by the Gething family, continued to operate until the late nineteenth century.
4.76 In 1772, Viscount Windsor sold the Lordship of Caerleon to John Burgh, Chief Steward of the Duke of Beaufort. His son, Henry Burgh died unmarried in 1778 and the manor of Caerleon passed to his sister, Maria, the wife of a Colonel Thomas. He died in 1816.
4.77 By the late 1700's, travellers and scholars were recording Roman finds in Caerleon. These included coins, fragments of inscriptions and sculptures together with roof tiles marked with the legionary stamp "Legio II Aug".
4.78 Caerleon Town Hall was originally built around 1780 by a Robert Fothergill, one of the early tinplate works owners. It was originally used as a drill hall by the Volunteer Regiment of the 2nd Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment. By the early part of the 19th century, the building had fallen into disrepair. Following renovation works, the hall was dedicated for public use in 1876. The adjacent building was erected for use as the custodians' dwelling also housing a reading room and library. The buildings were taken over by the Caerleon Urban District Council in 1936. The seal of the Council can be seen in relief stone work on the top front pediment which depicts a 'Castle Triple‑Towered'. This was adapted from the arms of Hywel ap lowerth, Lord of Caerleon and an early Welsh Prince during the second half of the 12th century. The function of the buildings as council offices came to an end in 1974 with the reorganisation of local government and the Urban District Council being incorporated into the responsibilities of the Newport County Borough.
4.79 S Hooper published the following account of the castle tower adjacent to the Hanbury Arms in 1783:‑
The building stands at Caerleon in Monmouthshire near the bridge laid over the River Usk. It is generally supposed of Roman construction, there having been a Roman station at this place, and the remains of an amphitheatre, baths and other Roman works, being still discoverable, about and within the enceinte of its walls, which are said to have been three miles in compass".
It seems difficult to assign the use for which this tower could have been built, its size for which the figures may serve as a scale, so it could scarcely have been intended for defence, as from its smallness it could contain but very few men. Perhaps it was intended for a staircase, or as in Burgh Castle near Yarmouth, the Gariononum of the Romans, for a buttress to prop and strengthen the adjacent wall".
4.80 A description of Caerleon which appeared in The Universal British Directory of Trade, Commerce and Manufacture in 1791 is at Annex 13.
4.81 In August and September 1798, the Reverend Richard Warner from Bath visited Caerleon and later wrote a book "Second Walk through Wales" published in 1800. Warner's work is recorded in full at Annex 14.
4.82 The population of Caerleon in 1801 was 667.
4.83 In 1801, the Reverend William Coxe published "An Historical Tour of Monmouthshire". The references to Caerleon in this work are recorded at Annex 15.
4.84 In 1803, ships of between 30 and 60 tons were being built and registered in Caerleon. Ship building declined about 1870.
4.85 In 1805, E Donovan published his book "Descriptive Excursions through South Wales and Monmouthshire". Donovan visited Caerleon for four consecutive summers between 1800 and 1804; and devoted 73 pages of text to the village of Caerleon. Donovan's work is recorded at Annex 16.
4.86 A new stone bridge over the River Usk was opened in 1810. A pedestrian bridge was built on the north side in 1974 to ensure the safety of pedestrians. The stone bridge is the successor of Roman and medieval bridges which stood on the opposite side of the Hanbury Arms Hotel to the present bridge. These old bridges stood where the Via Principalis led down to the River.
4.87 The stone bridge replaced an old wooden structure damaged by flooding in 1779. A print of the old wooden bridge is below. On the stormy night of 29 October that year, a Mrs Williams was crossing the bridge when the centre span was washed away. Mrs Williams was carried downstream by the raging flood and was rescued by a small vessel one mile downstream of Newport Bridge close to the entry to the Bristol Channel. She returned to Caerleon shaken but otherwise unharmed.
4.88 On the same evening (and following Mrs Williams' unfortunate accident) a traveller from Chepstow to Caerleon, anxious to reach the Hanbury Arms, pressed on and crossed Caerleon bridge to the safety of the Inn. Only the following morning did he learn that his horse had crossed the bridge over the raging torrent below by the one plank remaining in the centre of the bridge. He collapsed and died of shock that same morning. The decking of the wooden bridge was loosely fixed to allow it to rise and fall with the tide, a feature which impressed visitors to Caerleon.
4.89 The population of Caerleon in 1811 was 936.
4.90 The wall around the Mynde was built by Mr John Jenkins, owner of Caerleon Tinplate Works, in 1820. A full note on the background to and history of the Mynde Walls is at Annex 17.
4.91 The population of Caerleon in 1821 was 1062.
4.92 Caerleon once had both a fellmongery and tannery. Deeds of Conveyance regarding the fell monger’s business date back to 1821; and records of the tannery to 1710.
4.93 In 1825, the road to Newport via St Julians was opened and the Toll House built. The way to Newport before this was either over Christchurch Hill or by Pil Bach and Malpas. The Ship Hotel was built in 1830 to catch passing trade on the new road.
4.94 The population of Caerleon in 1831 was 1071.
4.95 The Newport‑Caerleon Savings Bank was established in 1831.
4.96 The National School opened in Caerleon in 1831.
4.97 Caerleon celebrated the passing of the Parliamentary Reform Bill on 4th August 1832. Church bells were rung from 3am, the town was decorated with flowers and garlands and banners with political mottoes were marched through the streets.
4.98 The Chartist Movement reached Caerleon in 1838 and 1839 with several leaders, including John Frost, attending meetings in the town.
4.99 The coronation of Queen Victoria in 1838 was celebrated in Caerleon. A multitude of people attended the amphitheatre for a feast. A flag staff was erected and the day ended with a dance on the green (common)
4.100 The population of Caerleon in 1841 was 1174.
4.101 Pigot's Directory of 1844 describes Caerleon as “an ancient market town once the Metropolitan See of Wales". A full description is at Annex 18.
4.102 From 1845, a two‑horse omnibus service operated from Newport to Abergavenny, passing through Caerleon and Usk. By 1875, the first dedicated Newport to Caerleon service was in operation both by private companies.
4.103 Most of Caerleon's Roman relics were sold to visitors or were lost. In an attempt to retain and preserve some of Caerleon's past, the Monmouthshire and Caerleon Antiquarian Society was formed in 1848. Eventually, John Edward Lee, a Yorkshire man who had settled in Caerleon, persuaded the gentry of the County to join him in building a museum to preserve such finds. (The museum opened on 2 August 1850; and was handed over to the National Museum of Wales in 1931. Some of the material used was retrieved from the Old Market house which once stood in the Square. Roman pillars also from the Market House were used to support the museum's ground floor. Timber from an old battleship of the George IV era (HMS Cillingwood) was put to use as roof supports).
4.104 The Caerleon Gas Company was founded in 1848 by local patronage and financed by local people.
4.105 The first recorded excavations of Roman Caerleon took place in 1849. This supplemented unrecorded finds in 1603.
4.106 The population of Caerleon in 1851 was 1281.
4.107 In 1858, a new drainage system was installed. Up to then, Caerleon had to depend on wells for its water. Old maps show that most streets had 2 wells with larger houses having their own.
4.108 The population of Caerleon in 1861 was 1268.
4.109 A description of Caerleon which appeared in the Monmouthshire Directory of 1862 is at Annex 19.
4.110 Arthur Machen, the distinguished author and journalist, was born in Caerleon in 1863. He described the town as "noble, fallen Caerleon on Usk". His work which makes reference to Caerleon is recorded at Annex 20.
4.111 The Roman Catholic Church was revived in Caerleon in 1870. The church was opened in 1885 and dedicated to the Saints David, Julius and Aaron.
4.112 The population of Caerleon in 1871 was 1306.
4.113 In 1874, gas lighting was introduced. The Caerleon Gas works was financed by local people and set up in works located in Gas Works Lane.
4.114 On 21st December 1874, the railway line through Caerleon was opened as part of the Pontypool, Caerleon and Newport Railway Company. It later became part of the Great Western Railway. The station was closed to passenger traffic on 30 April 1962 ‑its only claim to fame being that the curve of the line into Caerleon is the longest continuous curve in the country.
4.115 Excavations in 1878 on the castle mound (the mynde) found remains of a roman wall, pottery, bricks and tiles. The mound was probably erected around AD400‑500 by the Welsh kings and may have formed part of the fortress in which king Arthur lived in the 6th Century.
4.116 The population of Caerleon in 1881 was 1099.
4.117 In 1881, Wirt Sykes published his work "Rambles and Studies in Old South Wales". His work including references to Caerleon is recorded at Annex 21.
4.118 A description of Caerleon which appeared in Kelly’s Directory in 1884 is at Annex 22.
4.119 St David, Julius and Aaron Roman Catholic Church and priest's house were erected in 1885 on ground given by local landowner, Dr Robert Woolet MD JP.
4.120 In 1887, a clock was installed in St Cadocs Church to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. It had a peal of 8 bells making it one of only four in the country having a complete octave.
4.121 In 1891, part of the Common was enclosed. The land was given to Alderman Thomas Parry who was responsible for building the Talybont Reservoir. On the land he built his home, The Croft. It is now the home of the Welsh Water Authority and a health clinic. Goldcroft Common is the last survivor of 9 commons of Caerleon and is now only a quarter of its original 3 acres.
4.122 The population of Caerleon in 1891 was 1411.
4.123 The Caerleon tinplate works closed in 1896. Period of depression and unemployment followed. Many families left Caerleon. At the beginning of the 20th Century, railways were built. In 1908 sidings were constructed to link the works with the new railroad. The works were closed again in 1940 ‑ re‑opened in 1946 and closed for the last time in 1960. The works were located off the Ponthir Road on the site now occupied by the Brades housing estate.
4.124 The last cargo carrying vessel sailed from Caerleon in 1896. She was a collier named the 'Black Prince' with a Captain Bennett in command.
4.125 In 1898, the Caerleon and Marshes Tramways were built. However, the electric railway never came as far as Caerleon but ended at the top of the hill where Beaufort Road now joins Caerleon Road.
4.126 The population of Caerleon in 1901 was 1367.
4.127 A description of Caerleon which appeared in Kelly’s Directory of 1901 is at Annex 23.
4.128 In 1902, the Caerleon Gas Company was purchased by the Newport Gas Company. In that year, a gas supply main pipe was laid from the Crindau Gas Works in Newport, along Pillmawr Road to Caerleon. After this, Caerleon became a storage and supply facility station.
4.129 In 1903, the Newport Board of Guardians commenced building the St Cadocs Asylum. The Asylum was opened in 1906.
4.130 In 1904, a tidal wave landed at Newport and Caerleon was submerged.
4.131 The foundation stone for an orphanage in Caerleon was laid by Lord Tredegar on 14 September 1907. The building was vacated as a home in the 1970's.
4.132 A start was made on the archaeological exploration of the amphitheatre in 1908‑09 by the Liverpool Committee for Excavation and Research in Wales and the Marches.
4.133 The population of Caerleon in 1911 was 2046. The 1911 Census Records state that the large increase in the population of Caerleon Civil Parish was mainly due to the establishment of the Newport County Borough Council Asylum at St Cadoc's.
The above photograph shows Caerleon Square in 1911
4.134 On 18 July 1912, the foundation stone for a new teacher training college was laid by R McKenna MP, Home Secretary. A night of excitement preceded the event when some local supporters of the Suffragette movement set fire to materials on site to show support for those of their members held in prison and on hunger strike. The college opened before the First World War.
4.135 The area to the west of the Roman Barracks (once the parade ground of the Roman Legion) was once the site of Caerleon Race Course. World War I affected attendances; and the course fell into disrepair. The racecourse was the home of the Welsh Champion Hurdle before it was closed in 1948. The following photograph shows the racecourse in the 1930’s
4.136 On 6 October 1919, a speeding army vehicle from Caerleon went out of control whilst crossing Caerleon Bridge, crashed through the parapet and hung precariously above the river.
4.137 The lych gate of St Cadocs Church was completed on 28 June 1919 and bears the inscription "To the glory of God and those who fell in the Great War".
4.138 Newport Rowing Club regularly rowed to the Hanbury Wharf from 1900 to 1920 and used the Inn for their meetings.
The photograph below shows Caerleon Square in the early 1920’s
4.139 The population of Caerleon in 1921 was 2293.
4.140 Caerleon and District War Memorial was dedicated on Sunday 29 May 1921 and unveiled by Lt Colonel Evill, Officer Commanding 1st Monmouthshire Battalion. The monument was constructed of Cornish granite with bronze tablets listing the names of the fallen.
4.141 Newport Corporation Transport decided to extend its bus service to Caerleon in 1926. The picture below shows a Newport Corporation Tramways and Omnibus Leyland Lion 32 seater bus used on the Newport-Caerleon route around 1926-28.
4.142 Systematic rescue work of the Roman remains began in 1926 (thanks to the sponsorship of The Daily Mail) when a local excavation committee was set up on the initiative of Mortimer Wheeler, Director of the National Museum of Wales. During excavations, the “Caerleon curse” was discovered in the form of a tablet with an inscription reading “Lady Nemisis, I give thee a cloak and a pair of boots. Let him who took them not redeem them unless with his own blood”. In 1927, the committee purchased the Prysg field; and Victor Nash‑Williams excavated it. In the subsequent years, there has been an archaeological rescue excavation at Caerleon almost every year, save during the Second World War. The photograph below shows excavation work at the amphitheatre during 1927.
The above photograph shows Caerleon Square in 1928.
4.143 The population of Caerleon in 1931 was 3314.
4.144 A description of Caerleon which appeared in John’s Directory of 1934 is at Annex 24.
4.145 On 23 May 1937, four thousand Basque children arrived in Southampton. They had fled from Spain to escape the Spanish Civil War. The children, together with 95 women teachers, 120 female helpers and 15 priests, spent there first two months under canvas near Southampton. From there, they were dispersed to a variety of accommodations throughout the country. Two homes in South Wales took in the refugees: Sketty Hall in Swansea and Cambria house in Caerleon. In order to raise funds for the children's maintenance, a monthly newsletter was published and sold for tuppence... The "Cambria House Journal" contained articles written by the children and staff. Copies still survive in Newport Reference Library. Shortly after World War II started, the military moved into Cambria House and the children were moved to Vale View, Mill Street. No sooner had they made this their home than the military took this over. The children then moved to 18 Cross Street. A Mrs Fernandez, one of the women in charge of the children, did not return to Spain after the War but stayed in Caerleon. She made 18 Cross Street her home and lived to the age of 97. She continued to receive correspondence from the children she cared for right up to her death in January 2001.
The above photograph shows Caerleon Square in 1940
4.146 The population of Caerleon in 1941 is unknown. No census was taken in that year because of the large numbers of the population displaced by the Second World War.
4.147 American troops were based in Caerleon in World War II on Lodge Hill. Antiaircraft guns were sighted on Belmont Hill and Lodge Hill. Previously a farm track, Lodge Hill was constructed by the Army in the Second World War for access to the anti-aircraft battery located on top of the hill. It has been said that Caerleon suffered more damage from shrapnel from exploding anti‑aircraft shells than from the German Air Force.
4.148 A one‑way traffic system was introduced in 1943 following the deaths of a teacher from Dover High School for Girls (Miss Rushbridge) was killed by an Army lorry travelling too fast through the narrow High Street.
4.149 In May 1950, Geoffrey Boumphrey made a broadcast on the BBC Home Service Radio about Caerleon. The transcript of that broadcast is at Annex 25.
The above photograph shows Caerleon Square in the early 1950’s.
4.150 The population of Caerleon in 1951 was 3845.
4.151 In 1960 a new Comprehensive School was built. The school occupies part of the great parade ground of the Roman Legions.
4.152 The population of Caerleon Urban District (including Christchurch and Llangattock) in 1961 was 3757.
4.153 On 30 April 1962, the last steam train departed from Caerleon station (see photograph below)
4.154 Clifford Dyment, poet and author, was raised in Caerleon. Annex 26 records his work painting a picture of Caerleon published in 1963.
4.155 Caerleon Bowling Club opened in 1964.
4.156 The War Memorial was re‑located to the 'Memorial Garden' on land adjacent to the Town Hall buildings from its original position in the Square in 1966.
4.157 On the building of the Llanwern Steelworks, Caerleon was chosen as a dormitory town for the large number of people coming to work in the steelworks. A new school was built to accommodate increasing numbers of children. This was Lodge Hill School opened in 1970.
4.158 Caerleon Rugby Club was founded in 1970.
4.159 The population of Caerleon Urban District in 1971 was 5795.
4.160 In 1971, the Gwent Local History Council published an article entitled “Caerleon in Literature”. The article covered references to Caerleon in works by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Gerald Cambrensis, Thomas Malory, John Leland, Thomas Churchyard, Alfred Lord Tennyson and Arthur Machen. A copy of the article is at Annex 27.
4.161 Under Local Government Re‑organisation in 1974, Caerleon lost its status as a town and became one of the Polling Districts of Newport.
4.162 The Lodge Road footbridge was installed in 1977 for the safety of pedestrians.
4.163 Caerleon Municipal Golf Course opened in 1979.
4.164 In the 1980's, housing development (Trinity View ‑ so called for its views of Christchurch Hill and Church) continued almost up to the gates of the old Silurian fortress and westwards to Malpas. Housing development continued (Home Farm and Roman Reach estates) on the valley floor towards Malpas between the fortress and the line of the Via Julia Montana.
4.165 The population of Caerleon in 1981 was 6982.
4.166 The Rt Hon Nicholas Edwards MP opened the Roman Baths in April 1985.
4.167 The Caerleon Chariot Race was brought about by accident in 1987 by a group of businessmen who met regularly on a Monday night for a few drinks. Things got out of hand when one member, in drink, jokingly challenged another (also a little the worse for wear) to a Ben Hur style race around Caerleon. One thing led to another and the chariot race was born. Races were held every year until 1990.
4.168 In urgent need of repair and modernisation, the old museum building was demolished in 1986 except for the portice which was salvaged and retained for the reconstructed premises opened in 1988. The following photographs show the Museum building as it was in the early 1900’s; and the new Museum opened in 1988
4.169 A golf driving range was opened in 1988.
4.170 The exotic east returned to Caerleon on 28 August 1989. 2000 years after the Romans led their elephants to the amphitheatre, an elephant, a theatre group, Roman soldiers and fair maidens toured the town to celebrate the opening of the Bagan restaurant.
4.171 In the late 1980/early 1990's, proposals to develop land on the outskirts of Caerleon adjacent to the Usk Road were published. These were presented by housing developers and comprised of a number new homes, shops and another road bridge over the Usk. The proposals met with stiff opposition from a local action group (and others) and were eventually dropped.
4.172 In 1991 the population of Caerleon was 8412.
4.173 During 1991 and 1992, Pillmawr Road was extensively widened and improved from its junction with the old Roman Road to its junction with Lodge Hill.
4.174 In 1992, work on providing new drainage and gas supply services to St Cadocs Hospital and a new home for the elderly on Pillmawr Road found a number of roman graves and remains. The home opened in January 1994.
4.175 In 1992, fire swept through the teacher training college causing substantial damage. The fire is believed to have started in the student accommodation block. Following extensive repairs, security measures concerning access to the college buildings and facilities were improved.
4.176 Also in 1992, a large section of the high wall surrounding the mynde collapsed onto Castle Street in the early hours of the morning. Traffic in Caerleon was brought to a standstill for several hours while the rubbish and debris was cleared away. Had the wall collapsed a few hours later at the height of the morning rush hour, serious casualties even fatalities may have occurred.
4.177 In 1992, proposals by the Newport Borough Council to build a barrage across the Usk at Newport were announced and legal, financial and environmental arguments both for and against the barrage commenced. Although designed essentially to rejuvenate the docks and town centre areas of Newport, supporters of the barrage claimed that it would lead to increased industrial and tourist activities/facilities in the town and surrounding area and provide much needed employment opportunities. By creating a constant head of water behind the barrage and covering the unsightly mud banks, the proposers envisaged housing development and tourism/water borne activities springing up along the banks of the river including the stretch passing through and past Caerleon. Opponents of the barrage considered that the barrage would destroy the natural beauty of the river, endanger marine life in it and create a stagnant pool behind the barrage causing health and environmental problems. A Public Inquiry was held into the proposals and this ended in April 1994. The decision not to proceed with the barrage was announced in 1996.
4.178 In 1993, changes to the one‑way traffic system in Caerleon created some confusion and traffic congestion in the town.
4.179 The confusion and congestion referred to above and an ever‑increasing volume of traffic passing through Caerleon, led to a large number of complaints from local residents and businesses. Many thought that the proliferation of double yellow no waiting lines in the village was driving traders, customers and tourists away because of parking difficulties. As a result, the Gwent County Council Highways Department undertook a review of traffic management and flows in the village and held an exhibition in April 1994 of proposals to ease the traffic situation. The views of local residents were sought on the following options: ‑
A ‑ a one‑way system for Norman Street; B ‑ a one‑way system for Backhall Street, Myrtle Cottages and Castle Lane as well as for Norman Street; and C ‑ the closure of Church Street at its junction with High Street.
All three options incorporated a no‑waiting restriction on Goldcroft Common.
4.180 At the beginning of 1994, a group of archaeologists excavated a small area of land adjacent to Broadway House on Broadway. They discovered the floor of what was believed to have been one of the many workshops fronting the Via Principalis leading from the amphitheatre to the fortress headquarters. The excavation was short‑lived, however, with the dig being filled in August to make way for a new access road to the Caerleon Endowed Junior School. Notwithstanding this, another small piece of Caerleon's Roman past had been uncovered and some of the artefacts found were placed on public display in the Legionary museum.
4.181 On 18 August 1994, local historian Dr Russell Rhys, unveiled a wooden sculpture entitled 'A Throne fit for a King'. Dr Rhys had commissioned the work several years earlier and the throne was carved from a half ton piece of elm from Machynlleth. The throne featured Merlin and the Welsh dragon both shedding tears for the plight of the Welsh people. Commenting on the unveiling Dr Rhys explained that the throne was made for King Arthur on his return from slumber in the Caerleon area to right the wrongs of the Welsh people. The throne went on display outside the Wales Tourist Board office in the Ffwrym arcade off High Street.
4.182 The Newport and Cwmbran Echo carried two separate but related articles on Caerleon in its edition of Wednesday 2 November 1994. The first related to the possibility of £1 million being made available by the Wales Tourist Board to develop a new hotel, leisure centre, restaurant and improved car parking in the town. The money would be made available under the Wales Tourist Board's Historic Town Scheme; and the Council had until September 1995 to prepare a bid for the cash. The second related to a report published that day by the National Museum of Wales which revealed that 50,000 visitors had flocked to the Roman Legionary Museum in the previous year. It also highlighted that since the Museum was knocked down and re‑built in 1987, it had attracted more than 250,000 visitors to see it's 1,200 exhibits; and that the museum was becoming increasingly important to schools in Wales and England. Interestingly, around 50% of schools visiting the museum were from England.
4.183 On 3 April 1995, the South Wales Argus carried a report that Caerleon was among 10 Welsh walled towns included in a new tourist guide. The guide (launched in Conwy on 5 April 1995 by the Wales Tourist Board in association with the Wales link of the Walled Town Friendship Circle and local authorities) was designed to attract more higher‑spending visitors to Wales from the UK and overseas. Other towns in the guide were Chepstow, Caerwent, Tenby, Pembroke, Montgomery, Denbigh, Conwy, Caernarfon and Chester.
4.184 On Tuesday 9 May 1995, the South Wales Argus carried a report of an armed raid at the Ship Inn following the VE Day celebrations the night before. The raiders struck at about 5am and threatened a lodger (Bruce Smith) with a double barrel shotgun and 7 inch knife. When Mr Smith refused to tell the raiders how to get into the pub, he was struck in the face with the gun butt. The raiders fled empty handed.
4.185 The opening of the new Malpas Relief Road/Brynglas Tunnels scheme on Wednesday 10 May 1995 caused confusion to motorists wishing to join/leave the M4 Motorway at Caerleon (Junction 25). Both the westbound and eastbound slip roads of the motorway were closed as part of the scheme thereby preventing direct access into Caerleon from the M4.
4.186 In June 1995, Summer Solstice celebrations in Caerleon heralded the start of a campaign to recognise the importance of the Celtic Iron Age fort on Lodge Hill. Druids and local historians marched in procession to the fort on Wednesday 21 June to symbolise the importance of the fort from a historical point of view and its potential as a tourist attraction. The group, led by Chris Kasparis, set‑out to challenge 2000 years of Roman supremacy in the town. They felt the fort had been neglected and that it was important for schoolchildren to learn about their own Welsh heritage before the Romans arrived. Their declared aim was to see signs in Caerleon depicting the town as a Roman and Celtic City.
4.187 Engineers working on extensions to the Gwent College of Higher Education unearthed a stone Roman grave in November 1995. Work on the £2 million project was stopped whilst excited archaeologists examined the find. The coffin was of typical 2nd or 3rd Century design and the person was probably of fairly high social standing.
4.188 In February 1996, Caerleon won a £400,000 grant to upgrade tourist facilities thereby opening the door for overall plans estimated at £2 million. The grant from the Wales Tourist Board was announced on 28 February as part of their Historic Towns and Resorts scheme. 70 jobs were expected to be created by the grant. Additional funding was expected from CADW, the Welsh Development Agency, the European Regional Development Fund, the National Museum of Wales and the Newport County Borough Council. Proposals to widen tourist appeal included:‑
• a visitor centre next to the amphitheatre • exploiting the links between Caerleon and the Arthurian legend • refurbishing hotels providing 90 new bedrooms • two new restaurants • a Roman Garden, heritage trail, bicycle trail and craft outlets • possible extension of the municipal golf course to 18 holes
4.189 Tuesday 14 May 1996 was officially designated as “U Day" in Caerleon and Newport. On that day, Newport became the newest University town in Wales with the inauguration of the former Gwent College of Higher Education into the University of Wales College, Newport. The ceremony was performed by Lord Jenkins of Hillhead at the University's Caerleon Campus. After the ceremony, a fanfare was played by trumpeters of the Prince of Wales Division from the top of the clock tower at Caerleon and balloons in the University's colours were released. The University was split between the Allt Yr Yn Campus and Caerleon Campus. The Newport School of Art and Design and the Faculty of Education, Humanities and Science were based at Caerleon.
4.190 "Historic village is in for traffic chaos" was one of the headlines in the South Wales Argus on Wednesday 29 May 1996. The headline referred to a major renovation of Caerleon's sewerage system planned for 1 July. Work was expected to last for 16 weeks and would see the closure of half of the village's one‑way system. Dwr Cymru Welsh Water had surveyed the sewerage system using closed circuit cameras and found that the sewers located within Caerleon's one‑way system were in poor condition. The work was planned for July and August because traffic flows in the village were then at their lowest with local schools and the new University closed for the summer holidays.
Roadworks in High Street in 1996
4.191 The call of the past attracted more visitors to the Roman Legionary Museum in Caerleon in 1996. Annual visitor figures rose by 18% from 45,578 to 55,893. Special events during 1996 included a staged reconstruction of a Roman army training for battle; the Flower Power celebration of the Roman Spring Festival of Cerialis, and the Capricorn Centre ‑ a reconstructed Roman barrack room where children experienced a day in the life of a Roman soldier. Events planned for 1997 included a Boudica Day interpreting the first ever British revolt against the Romans; and a recreation of roman life in Britain in a Celtic village, Roman market and Roman soldiers on parade.
4.192 In January 1997, a strange oil‑rig like structure appeared in the River Usk opposite the Roman Reach housing estate. The steel structure was a Welsh Water device for test boring the river bed as a preclude to modernising the sewers in parts of Newport, some of which outfall into the river.
4.193 "Giggsmania" brought Caerleon to a standstill on 26 March 1997 when close on 1000 schoolchildren descended on the local soccer ground to see football star Ryan Giggs taking part in a training session. His unscheduled visit to join his Wales colleagues came after the team switched a training session from Cwmbran Stadium to Caerleon's Cold Bath Road ground. It was not long before news that the Manchester United superstar was in the area had spread like wildfire through the Caerleon Endowed Junior and Senior Schools, Lodge Hill Infants School and Caerleon Comprehensive School. By the time he took the field pupils ringed Caerleon's tiny ground five deep.
4.194 In April 1997, a campaign was started to save one of Caerleon's historic structures from demolition. The new owners of the Priory Hotel had submitted a planning application to replace the 19th Century archway which led to the car park with two stone pillars. The plans sparked alarm from many historical groups and residents. Many felt that the removal of the historic blue lias limestone archway would be a detrimental loss to Caerleon. The Priory's owners later agreed to consider re‑building the arch at a cost of £25,000.
4.195 In 1997, Caerleon received the only MERIT Certificate awarded in the Small Town Class in the Wales in Bloom Competition ‑ effectively, Caerleon came third in the whole of Wales.
4.196 Davies Sutton, Consultants engaged to carry out a Design and Conservation Study of Caerleon in 1997 strongly recommended that the site of the petrol filling station adjacent to the bridge (up for sale at that time) should be used as the site of a new Visitors' Centre. The cost of the scheme was estimated to be just over £1 million. The plans never got beyond the drawing board stage.
4.197 A minor earthquake hit Caerleon and surrounding area at 8.39pm on Wednesday 11th February 1998. The tremor shook houses and rattled doors and windows for about 3 seconds. The tremor measured 2.3 on the Richter Scale ‑ its epicentre was at Croesy‑mwyalch, north of Malpas. The British Geological Survey in Edinburgh confirmed the tremor and said that it followed one which hit the same area on 14th November 1997 measuring 1.8 on the Richter Scale ‑ too small to be felt.
4.198 On 18 March 1998, the South Wales Argus carried a report entitled “Is this the end of St Cadoc's?” The article reported that health chiefs were considering plans to self‑off the main hospital building and most of the 22 acres of grounds and replace it with a purpose built unit on three or four acres of land at the east end of the hospital grounds. The hospital then housed only a few patients compared with the capacity of 600 when it was commissioned in 1906. Originally, patients came from a wide area including Shrewsbury, London and Swansea.
4.199 Caerleon Bridge was closed to traffic on Sunday 22 May 1998 to enable new street lighting to be installed.
4.200 In August 1998, it was announced that Caerleon had a double victory in the 1998 Wales in Bloom Competition coming second in the small town category and its Town hall and gardens were judged the best public building in Wales.
4.201 The modern 'craze' of bungee jumping came to Caerleon in August 1998 with the Hanbury Arms hosting an event for charity. Daredevil jumpers were hoisted in a cage on a huge crane located on the banks of the river and plunged towards the river below.
4.202 Welsh Office Minister, Peter Hain MP, unveiled a mural in the Ffwrwm Arts Centre in August 1998 showing Caerleon in Roman times. The mural took Caerleon artist Graham Cross 600 hours to complete and showed the ancient Roman City as seen from the Praetorian Gate which stood near the site of the Ffwrwm (see photograph below)
4.203 The amphitheatre at Caerleon was used as the basis for one of the designs of the new National Assembly building in Cardiff. The design entitled “Field of Assembly" was unsuccessful in the selection process held in October 1998.
4.204 An ambitious bid to recognise the special history of Caerleon on the world stage was considered (again) in October 1998 by the Newport County Borough Council. The Council considered re‑submitting Caerleon for inclusion in the list of world heritage sites ‑ the previous application having been turned‑down.
4.205 In October 1998, the Roman Legionary Museum included a new education experience for schoolchildren to show them what life was like in Roman Caerleon. The Capricorn Educational Centre ‑ which had been enlarged to accommodate the thousands of schoolchildren visiting the centre each year ‑ included exhibits showing the roman alternative to toilet paper; how to catch and prepare a door mouse for a feast; how a roman school operated and health and hygiene issues in AD75.
4.206 In October 1998, the South Wales Argus reported that all of Caerleon's schools were ranked among the top 10 in Wales based on examination results in 1997. Caerleon Comprehensive School came 8th in the Welsh secondary school rankings and 293rd in the country. Caerleon Endowed and Lodge Hill Juniors came 2nd and 3rd respectively in the primary school rankings.
4.207 A survey undertaken by the Wales Tourist Board and the Newport County Borough Council in 1998 concluded that Caerleon attracted 60,000 day visits and 25,000 overnight stays per year. A significant proportion (80%) of the overnight stays were business/education related. Leisure visits were estimated to represent only 15-20% of overnight stays. Day visits to Caerleon were short ‑ 76% stayed for less than half a day and 49% for less than 2.5 hours. 60% of visitors were first time visitors and most came to see one of the main attractions. The Roman sites were the most popular ‑ 90% visited the amphitheatre, 86% the baths, 77% the barracks and 76% the museum. 50% visited the Ffwrwm while less than 35% visited shops, a pub or restaurant.
4.208 Caerleon's reputation as a tourist magnet was reported (in March 1999) as being set for a boost with a new heritage trail comprising of a series of plaques marking places of interest and guiding visitors around the Town. The Heritage Trail Scheme was a collaboration between the Newport County Borough Council and CADW (the heritage protection body) supported by the National Museums and Galleries of Wales. The plaques would be cast in aluminium in a red terracotta colour with an inset blue glass mosaic. Others would be in bronze relief. The Heritage Trail would include the Roman Legionary Museum, Priory Hotel, Caerleon house, Caerleon Baptist Church, Tollgate House, St Cadoc's Church and a number of the Town's pubs; and formed part of a wider project within the Historic Towns Scheme.
4.209 Over 400 residents of Caerleon attended a public meeting on 31 March 1999 to discuss controversial plans to establish a Welsh Rugby Union Centre of Excellence in the Town. Concerns were raised by residents, environmental groups and councillors about the threat to the environment, to homes by flooding and the extra traffic adding to Caerleon's already choked roads. The Gwent Wildlife Trust representative said that the Usk Valley area of Caerleon was home to 62 varieties of bird and had been earmarked as a special area of conservation and scientific interest. The meeting was told that the Newport County Borough Council had requested an environmental impact study. Just one resident spoke in favour of the development. The land earmarked for the rugby centre was owned by millionaire Terry Matthew's owner of the Celtic Manor Hotel and Country Club. The "Save our Valley" campaign was launched by residents after the Welsh Rugby Union submitted a planning application to build a £7 million complex on the bend of the river Usk at Caerleon. The Centre would comprise 6 floodlit pitches, a large training area, parking for 500 cars and 12 coaches and a 1,500 seater stand.
4.210 In May 1999, the Rail Users' Consultative Committee for Wales called for Caerleon railway station to be re‑instated. Although a rail service taking passengers and freight to Hereford, Shrewsbury and Crewe for all points north still passed through Caerleon, the Committee considered that a new station in the Town would be an advantage to the tourist trade and serve to reduce traffic congestion on the roads.
4.211 Traffic chaos returned to the streets of Caerleon in July 1999 with the closure of part of High Street for traffic management works. Traders complained about loss of trade and tourism revenue. A complicated series of diversions and traffic lights guided both visitor and resident of Caerleon around the temporary two‑way one‑way system.
4.212 In August 1999, it was revealed that plans to develop a housing estate at St Cadoc's Hospital (as proposed in the Draft Unitary Development Plan for Newport) had been dropped and the Plan revised and the site allocated for use by the University.
4.213 The Bear House Field Pond (between Fosse Way and Barracks Field) re-appeared after 50 years on 19 September 1999. The pond, which for many generations had been a permanent feature for youngsters, disappeared with the installation of drainage works in the surrounding area.
4.214 The "row" over the siting of the proposed rugby centre of excellence rumbled on during the latter part of 1999. In November and December, the future of the centre was thrown into doubt after Roman remains were found at the site. Archaeologists from the Glamorgan and Gwent Archaeological Trust undertaking an Environmental Impact Assessment discovered walls, roads and burial places which could have formed part of a larger settlement. The four week test dig involved unearthing 62 trenches and 18 test pits. The discovery intensified calls for the Welsh Rugby Union to re‑consider siting the centre in Caerleon. Businessman Terry Matthews pledged to protect the Roman remains but refused to throw out plans for the centre on his land. |
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