14 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COTTESWOLD CLUB 



constructed strongly fortified camps at Qierwent and Caer- 

 Icon, the latter place ultimately becoming one of the nine 

 Roman colonies established in Britain. The members 

 also had the great advantage of being accompanied by 

 their colleague, Mr John Bellows, as guide, philosoi)her, 

 and friend ; for no one is better qualified, if indeed there 

 is anyone so well qualified, to si)eak of the connection 

 between the Roman settlements in Gloucestershire and 

 those in South Monmouth, and to tell the story of why 

 and how the settlements were planned and carried out. 



c:aereeon 



Caerleon, to which place the [)arty lirst drove, is a quiet 

 village about three miles north-east of Newjjort, and (lose 

 to the river Usk. The wall built by the Romans more 

 than eighteen hun(h-ed years ago may still be traced in its 

 entire length, and in some [)laces it is ten or twelve feet 

 hisrh. Within its area a large number of Roman remains 

 have been found, most of which are preserved in a small 

 museum. Outside the walls is a well-jjreserved amphi- 

 theatre, very much like that at Cirencester. Giraldus 

 says that in his time the stone seats might still be seen. 

 They have, however, long since disappeared, because, 

 probably, local builders looked upon them with utilitarian, 

 rather than antiquarian eyes. The name Isca Silurum, 

 which the place bore in Roman times, has of course 

 fallen out of general use, but strangely enough, a few 

 houses on the south side of the river are still known 

 among the cottagers as '" Ultra Pontem," a name which 

 eighteen centuries has not efliiced ! The bridge which 

 connected the two jjlaces was in existence a hundred 

 years ago, for Archdeacon Coxe describes, how in crossing 

 it, he was nearly being precipitated into the river, because 

 the planks were loose, and how, in re[)ly to his remons- 

 trance, he was told that the planks could not be nailed 



