Digging Roman Caerleon: The Priory Field Excavation

Digging Roman Caerleon: The Priory Field Excavation 2007 to 2010 Friday 16 January 2026 at 7.30pm St Cadoc’s Church, High St, Caerleon Newport NP18 1AZ

A major excavation in Priory Field, carried out between 2007 and 2010, produced groundbreaking new evidence for Caerleon’s rich Roman and early ‘post-Roman’ history. 

The excavation uncovered the front range of a large masonry courtyard storebuilding, which was the first building of its kind excavated to modern standards in the Roman Empire. Some of the exceptional finds recovered include a rare example of an elaborately decorated horse’s headpiece and several sets of dismantled body armour.

An introduction by Monmouthshire Antiquarian Association President, Jeremy Knight, will be followed by a talk given by the excavation’s directors, Dr Peter Guest and Prof. Andrew Gardner, who will highlight some of the Priory Field project’s most significant discoveries.

Describing when the courtyard building was built, what was stored in it and when it ceased to be used, and what happened to it in the years after the ending of Roman Britannia at the beginning of the 5th century.

The question-and-answer session will be followed by a presentation about the Caerllion Rufeining – Roman Caerleon Gateway Partnership Project.

This event is jointly organised by the Monmouthshire Antiquarian Association and the Caerllion Rufeining – Roman Caerleon Partnership.

For further information on the Caerllion Rufeining – Roman Caerleon Partnership please email: Caerleon.Community@museumwales.ac.uk

Tickets: 

Monmouthshire Antiquarian Association event tickets from TicketSource.