Caerleon Roman Fortress and Baths

Caerleon Roman Fortress and Baths lie in the town of Caerleon near Newport in South Wales. The remains of the Legionary Fortress of Isca Augusta stretch across the town, one of only three permanent legionary fortresses in Roman Britain. The site includes the excavated bath-house, the most complete excavated amphitheatre in Britain, barracks and the National Roman Legion Museum. Gerald of Wales described the ruins in the 12th century as a city of legions with gilded roofs and prodigious towers. The fortress was built in AD 75 and occupied for just over two centuries. The site has drawn eminent archaeologists since the 19th century. John Edward Lee led early excavations and helped found the Caerleon Antiquarian Association in 1847. Mortimer Wheeler’s team removed 30,000 tons of soil between 1926 and 1927 to reveal the amphitheatre’s original flooring and seating. V. E. Nash-Williams later uncovered barracks blocks and ramparts at Prysg Field. The excavations confirmed the fortress walls’ line and showed timber barracks replaced by stone around AD 115. Visitors walk through the remains of the bath-house and barracks laid out as parkland. The amphitheatre’s walls and buttresses stand preserved, with clear entrances and seating areas. The National Roman Legion Museum houses artefacts found on site, including items donated by townspeople. The fortress ditch at 10 Mill Street still shows traces from medieval times. The stone complex of the baths was destroyed in the 13th century, yet parts of the walls remain visible. The site offers a direct view of Roman military life and engineering across the centuries.