C A E 



ir>9 



->iv structed of round bricks, fourteen inches in diameter, 

 and t >ur thick. A tesstelated pavement, in u pt-i 



Km (1 in an adjoining apartment. Bricks 

 i with tiro, ai;d li-idn. pipeH, were also found 

 intlu-suiv placr. In 1 !'-.!, a teselated pavement, 

 fourteen feet in diameter, was found in a field : it 

 had Y.uifi;aU-0 1> : tiers of white, blue, and red tesse- 

 la, surrounding figures of birds of the same colours. 

 'i'h. .his pavement a figure of Diana, 



, !i C.-:r>lei, ur.cnbcs aa clad " in tuckt up gar- 

 ments, with a quiver, but without head, hands, or ' 

 The piv t- house of Cai-rleon is supported 



by four bhort and massive Tuscan columns, which 

 Mr Coxe supposes to have belonged to some ancient 

 Roman structure. Several inscribed pillars w-re 

 lately dug up near the centre ot the old city ; and 

 the votive stone, \\ith the inscription 



T. FL. POSTUMIVS VAHUS 

 V. C. LEG. TfcMi'L. DIAN.<B 



RESTH i IT 



has induced antiquarians to believe, that this spot 

 has been the site of the temple of Diana. Several 

 votive altars have likewise been discovered. One of 

 these is to the Emperor Aurelius Antoninus, and 

 Severus Lucius his son, and alludes to the second 

 An ustine legion. In another, the epithet Doli- 

 chius is applied to Jupiter, alluding to his being 

 the protector of iron mines ; and in a third, dedicated 

 to Antoninus and Geta, the word Csesar is added to 

 the latter name. Coins of every period of the Ro- 

 man empire have likewise been found here ; and nu- 

 merous antiquities, such as bronze figures, lamps, fi- 

 bulae, seats, rings, &c. 



The ancient castle of Caerleon appears to have ex- 

 tended betv/een the south side of the Roman wall 

 and the river. On the high mound of earth called 

 the Keep, to the north of the town, there was for- 

 nv rly a gigantic tower, mentioned by Gyraldus ; but 

 the only remains of it are a variety of stones near its 

 base. There was also in this town an abbey of 

 Cibtortian monks situated in the High Street, where 

 then' is an old house, which is the only remains of 

 the monastery. The wooden bridge over the Uske 

 is said to resemble Caesar's bridge over the Rhine. 

 The floor, supported by ten high piers, is horizon- 

 tal, and ib divided by posts and rails into rooms 

 or beds of boards, each of which is twelve feet long. 

 As the height of the water at extraordinary tides 

 sometimes exceeds thirty feet, parts of the bridge 

 have been carried away. On this account it is about 

 to br replaced by a bridge of stone. The inhabitants 

 are chiefly supported by the extensive tin works of 

 Mr Butler, in the vicinity of the town, at which from 

 11, 000 to 20,000 boxes of tin plates, each contain- 

 ing from '200 to tiOU plates, are annually manufactu- 

 red. Tin re is also an iron forge here ; and, by the 

 flowing nf the Uske, the town possesses a small share 

 of the coasting trade to Bristol. The gardens and 

 orchards < f Caerleon are covered with great quanti- 

 ties or cinders, containing much iron. They are call- 

 ed Roma i cinders, and appear to be the remains of 

 ore miperi- ctly smelted by the Romans in their open 

 bK.< Number of kcMMftt 14& Population 667. 



S- hv V Tour III rough South H'alct, 18() k War- 

 ner's Tour f Coxe'i Historical Tour in Monmouth- 



t/tirt, IflOl ; Powell's History of Walet; but parti- 

 cularly the Heuutie* of England and Walei, vol. xi. 

 ! . ( . j 



(THEN, or CARMAHTIIEN, the Ma- 

 ridiinu.u of Ptolemy, and the Caer vyrdin of the Bri- 

 tont, is the principal town in the county of Cacrmar 

 then, in South Wales. It is situated in a fruitful 

 Talley, on the acclivity of a steep hill upon the north 

 bank of the river Towy or Tobiut, over which there 

 is a long narrow bridge of six arches, with other 

 four in the parapet at the touth end, to allow the 

 water to pass when the river is swollen. The streets 

 are numerous and handsome, though some of them 

 are steep and irregular; and many of the modem 

 houses are well built, and reckoned the b; kt in South 

 Wales. The principal public buildings are, the 

 church, the totfn-h.dl, and the county gaol. The 

 church, which stands without the town, at the end 

 of Prior Street, is a very large building, and is dedi- 

 cated to St Peter. The town hall is a handsome 

 edifice, built of freestone, with colonnadee of the Io- 

 nic order : The lower part of it is used as a co . 

 market. The county gaol, which occupies the site 

 of the old castle, is handsomely built of hewn stone. 



Although this town is eight or nine miles from 

 the sea, yet the tides, which rise from eight to twelve 

 feet, carry vessels of 100 tons burden up to the 

 quay, which is very convenient for loading and un- 

 loading merchandise, and thus. enables the town to 

 carry on a considerable coasting and inland trade, 

 which has greatly increased since the decline of the 

 trade at Kidwelly. 



The principal manufactures of Caermarthen are 

 those of tin plate and cast iron, which are carried on 

 to a considerable extent. There is also a rope-walk 

 here, and a few vessels are built for sale. The town 

 is well supplied with salmon and other fish, and pro- 

 visions are in general reasonable. 



Caermarthen was forrmrly defended by walls, and 

 a strong castle, the gate of which only remains. 

 The walls of a priory of the Fratres Grisei still exist, 

 adjoining Lammas Street ; and in Priory btrvet are 

 the walls of another priory for six black c.u;.ns, 

 erected to the honour of St John the Evangelist, .nid 

 founded before 114-8. The principal apartments in 

 the latter building may be still distinguished. 



This town is famed for being the birth place of 

 the celebrated magician Merlin Ambr. se. Oi; Mar- 

 tin's Hill, near the tower, is a rock called M ; lin's 

 Chair, from which the prophecies of the magician 

 are supposed to have been uttered. 



The government of the corporation is vested in a 

 mayor, two sheriffs who are chosen from the aider- 

 men, a recoider, and other officers. The chancery 

 of exchequer of South Wales have been kept here 

 since Wales was erected into a principality ; and 

 there is also here a court for the registry of wills, 

 under th jurisdiction of the bishop of St David's. 

 Caermarthen was erected into a borough by :>h Henry 

 VIII. and returns one member to parliament. Num- 

 ber of houses 94-5 ; population 5548. See Evan's 

 Tour through South l\ 'ales ; Malkin's Scenery, Anti- 

 quities, ami Biography of South (Vales ; Barber** 

 T>tir through South Walet i ind the Description of 

 England and Wales, vol. i. p. 182. (*) 

 2 



