A

David

Darling

Caerleon

Caerleon is a small but ancient town in Gwent (formerly Monmouthshire), Wales, on the right bank of the river Usk, 2½ miles northeast of Newport. The Isca Silurum of the Romans, it was the seat of an ancient see – the only one, it seems, in all Wales – which was transferred to St. David's in the sixth century. An abbey of Cistercian monks existed here before the Reformation. Many Roman relics have been found, including baths, pavement, altars, tiles, coins, inscriptions, and enamels. There are also remains of an amphitheater, measuring 222 by 192 feet, and known as King Arthur's Round Table. It was Geoffrey of Monmouth who connected King Arthur with Caerleon; and to that connection, through Lord Tennyson, Caerleon owes its chief fame.