Caerleon Roman Amphitheatre
Blood-soaked Roman entertainment meets Arthurian myth
Built around AD 90 to entertain the legionaries stationed at the fort of Caerleon (Isca), this impressive amphitheatre was the Roman equivalent of today’s multiplex cinema. Wooden benches provided seating for up to 6,000 spectators, who would gather to watch bloodthirsty displays featuring gladiatorial combat and exotic wild animals.
Long after the Romans left, the amphitheatre took on a new life in Arthurian legend. Geoffrey of Monmouth, the somewhat imaginative 12th-century scholar, wrote in his History of the Kings of Britain that Arthur was crowned in Caerleon and that the ruined amphitheatre was actually the remains of King Arthur’s Round Table.
Opening times & prices
Opening times
| 1st March - 30th September | 10am-5pm |
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| 1st October - 28th February | 10am-4pm |
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Last admission 30 minutes before closing Closed 24, 25, 26 December and 1 January |
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Visitor information
Access guide
Please read our accessibility guidance for information on how to plan your visit.
Dogs welcome
Dogs on short leads welcome to access ground floor levels of the site.
Walking difficulty
Terrain: Level 2 – Easy
Drone policy
Please read our policy information about flying drones at Cadw monuments: read the guidance
No smoking
Smoking is not permitted.
Health & Safety
Unstaffed - However Cadw staff can be found at the Roman Baths.
Divided between two distinct sites, the amphitheatre and barracks represent Wales’s most exemplary illustration of Roman residential and social life.
Following the flat path next to the comprehensive school you will find the barracks. Be careful walking through as the low wall profiles still exist and may cause a trip hazard.
The amphitheatre allows access all around its structure. We ask that you stay away from the edges of the amphitheatre as there is a fall from height risk.
Please take care when using the steps down to the middle ground area of the amphitheatre, as some of them are incomplete.
The ground can become slippery and muddy when visiting in poor weather conditions. To protect the ground during extreme weather conditions – we often need to restrict access; please check with Caerleon Roman Baths if visiting during poor weather.
Telephone: 03000 252239
Email: CaerleonFortressBaths@gov.wales
As with all ancient monuments there is always a risk of stones being dislodged in bad weather, however, we manage this through extensive monitoring.
Climbing may result in serious injury.
There are several wild plants and flowers, although these are great pollinators, they may be poisonous to visitors and animals, we strongly advise you not to touch or allow dogs to eat any vegetation.
Please watch our health & safety film before visiting Cadw sites.
Iechyd a Diogelwch / Health and Safety
Please report any anti-social behaviour such as climbing, setting fires, graffiti etc. to CadwAccidentsReports@gov.wales
The following signs can be found around the site at key areas of risk, please pay attention where appropriate.
Falls from height
Slippery or uneven surfaces
Steep and uneven steps
Falling masonry
Directions
Telephone 03000 252239
Broadway, Caerleon, Newport, NP18 1AY.
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