l8 PROCEEDINGS OF THE COTTESWOLD CLUB 



(Cirencester) and that leaving a garrison among them, 

 they came to the banks of a " large " river, beyond which 

 the enemy lay in fancied security. That river could only 

 have been the Severn, and the place where the enemy lay 

 was probably Newnham. 



Among the Roman auxiliaries were a number of splendid 

 swimmers, and at low water the passage would not be 

 diflicult ; and crossing the river they fought the Britons 

 in a decisive battle. But they did not remain on the 

 Forest side of the Severn ; that was not a part of their 

 l)lan. They made their way to Gloucester, upon building 

 which they spent more pains than they did upon any other 

 camp in Britain ; as no fewer than four different lines of 

 water defence had to be crossed, before the actual wall ot 

 the fortification could be reached on the western side. 



But the intention to make Gloucester the north-western 

 boundary, at least for a time, was frustrated by the Silures, 

 who lived on the western side of the Severn. In the 

 Annals of Tacitus, we are told that "the Silures were not 

 so easily quelled ; neither levity, nor rigorous measures 

 could induce them to submit. To bridle the insolence of 

 that warlike race, Ostorius judged it expedient to form a 

 camp in the heart of their country." There can be no 

 doubt, that in this brief notice Tacitus refers to the 

 foundation of Caerwent, or as the Romans called it 

 " Venta Silurum." This fortress stands about four miles 

 inland from Portskewett, where the camp to cover the 

 landing of troops after the ])assage of the Severn is still 

 in excellent preservation. On the former visit of the 

 Cotteswold Club to Caerwent, the Great Western Railway 

 Surveyors hap[)ened to be at the Tunnel works, which 

 adjoins the camj), and at the request of some of the 

 members, they took the exact average height of the 

 ramparts, 19 ft. 3 in., this being 20 Roman feet. On the 

 south-western side of this camp is an excellent beach for 

 running the boats on, used in the passage. It has even 



