The oval arena of the Roman legionary fortress at Caerleon, one of the best-preserved amphitheatres in Britain
Open to visitorscheck opening times and admission before you go
Substantial ruinsruined, but plenty survives above ground
An amphitheatre was the Roman version of a sports ground and events arena: an oval space ringed by banked seating, where soldiers and townspeople gathered to watch displays, drills and blood sports. This one sat just outside the walls of Isca, the great fortress at Caerleon that was home to the Second Augustan Legion, and it is one of the most complete Roman amphitheatres you can see in Britain. What survives is the oval floor of the arena and the low stone walls and earth banks that once held the tiered wooden seating, with the entrance passages still clear at either end.
The legion built it in the years around AD 90, and it could hold something close to the whole garrison, a few thousand men. For a long time local tradition took the grassy oval for King Arthur’s Round Table, which tells you how the ruins looked to people before anyone dug them up.
Caerleon holds one of the richest clusters of Roman remains in the country, so the amphitheatre is best treated as one stop among several. The bases of the barracks and the fortress baths are a short walk away in the village of Caerleon, along with a museum of finds. The amphitheatre is looked after by Cadw and free to visit, with open access to the arena. St Cadoc’s Church stands on the site of the fortress headquarters nearby, and the Usk Valley Walk runs close by if you want to stretch the visit into a longer wander along the river.
