Caerwent Roman Town

A glimpse into a Romanised market town

Perhaps its sleepy location in off-the-beaten-track rural border country is the reason why Caerwent, Venta Silurum to the Romans, is one of those ‘best kept’ secrets. Its thunder has certainly been stolen by nearby Caerleon (Isca), one of Britain’s most important Roman towns. Caerwent, established in about AD 75–80, served as a settlement of the Silures, a native tribe who became Romanised following the conquest of Britain. It was a busy place complete with public baths, spread out in a typical well-ordered Roman grid.

Impressive remains include walls still standing up to 17ft/5m, excavated houses, market-place and Romano-British temple.