Our route soon became uninteresting, and continued a confined and miry avenue: until, arriving at Church-church, and looking over a hedge opposite to it, when a prospect burst upon us with an electric suddenness, grandly extensive and delightful. From the foreground descended a succession of bold knolls or gentle swells, clothed with ornamental plantations, in a wide display of sylvan beauty, to Caldecot level, whose uniform though fruitful plain was in a great measure concealed by the intervention of contrasting heights. Beyond this, the majestic Severn’s
“—fresh current flow’d
Against the eastern ray translucent, pure,
With touch æthereal of Heaven’s fiery rod.”
Numerous barks diversified its surface; and a large fleet of ships, anchored at King’s-road, became a striking object. The high opposite shores of Somersetshire either descended in fertile slopes, laid out in pastures and cornfields; or, abruptly disjoined, opposed their cliffs, a naked surface of rock, to the waves. Eastward, over Gloucestershire and the neighbouring counties, such a variety of hills and valleys, verdant lawns and waving woods, embowered hamlets and handsome villas appeared, that the eye was at a loss where to rest for pre-eminent beauty. Light clouds floated in the atmosphere; and the sun, “sparing of light,” distributed its rays in partial streaks; but the varied illumination rather heightened than diminished the charms of the picture. We turned from this assemblage of nature’s wealth, this delightful landscape, with regret, and descended among the adjoining plantations of Sir Robert Salusbury, Messrs. Sykes, Kemeys, and Philips, towards Caldecot level; a large tract of land, similar to that of Wentloog, rescued from the inroads of the sea by human industry. Near the western extremity of this plain rises the peninsulated promontory of Gold Cliff, so called from a glittering yellow mica incorporated with the rock, and which is even now considered by the peasants as indicating a gold mine. The brow of the cliff was formerly dignified with an opulent priory, founded by Robert de Chandos anno 1113: its small remains are incorporated into a barn, and other buildings of a farm-house.
Returning, we took a hasty view of Christchurch, an ordinary building chiefly Gothic; but a Saxon arch reposing on low columns, which forms the entrance, indicates that the greater part of the present structure is engrafted upon an older foundation. Within, a Gothic screen of exquisite workmanship, separating the chancel from the nave, was formerly much admired; but it is now shamefully injured. A curious sepulchral monument here is deemed miraculous, on the eve of the circumcision, in curing sick children. Formerly the tomb was crowded with the little subjects of credulity, who were bound to remain in contact with the stone during the night; but, the natural agency of a warm bed being found more favourable to convalescence than the miraculous interposition, the fees of the sexton have of late considerably diminished. The public house near the church was the ancient manse.
A descent of alarming steepness led us toward the ancient town of Caerleon, through its suburb, a long narrow village, still bearing the classical appellation of Ultra Pontem. We crossed the Usk by a narrow wooden bridge with a flooring of loose planks, and immediately entered the town, the Isca Silurum of Antoninus, the station of the second legion, and the principal Roman own in the country of the Silures, now so far diminished as scarcely to occupy one sixth of the area within are Roman walls. It was, however, in a declining state so far back as the fourteenth century, as appears from the following account given by Giraldus: “Many remains of its former magnificence are still visible. Splendid palaces, which once emulated with their gilded roofs the grandeur of Rome; for it was originally built by the Roman graces, and adorned with stately edifices. A gigantic tower; numerous baths; ruins of a temple and a theatre, the walls of which are partly standing. Here we still see, both within and without the walls, subterraneous buildings, aqueducts, and vaulted caverns, and stoves so excellently contrived as to convey their heat through secret and imperceptible pores.” This description has been followed in a compiled Tour published not long since, and, by an unfortunate mistake, given as its present appearance. Alas! it exhibits a melancholy reverse:
The cloud-capt towers,
The gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples,
are dissolved: the town is a poor straggling place; and vestiges of its former magnificence must be curiously sought after to be seen at all. Statues, altars, columns, elegant freizes, sarcophagi, coins and intaglios, have been making their appearance during several ages; but they are immediately carried away by curious persons, or more frequently applied to domestic uses. An altar with a Roman inscription had been dug up just before our arrival, and we were conducted by an obliging gentleman of the town to the garden in which it was found: where we saw the venerable monument of antiquity just finished slicing into half a dozen slabs for paving.
The Roman fortification forms an oblong square, with the corners a little rounded, [200a] and unfurnished with towers. Many fragments of the walls accompanied by the fosse are evident; deprived of the facing-stones, they appear in great masses of grout-work; i.e. of stones, broken tiles, and bricks promiscuously bedded in cement. The remains are no where more than fourteen feet high, which is much less than their original elevation, and ten or twelve in thickness. Their circumference does not exceed 1800 yards; but the adjacent fields are continually yielding up foundations, &c. which denote the suburbs to have been very extensive; tradition, indeed, reports them to have been nine miles round. The castle stood between the walls and the river, of which some small vestiges appear at the Hanbury Arms. [200b] At a little distance from this place, on the opposite side of the road, we noticed a high artificial mound about 300 yards in circumference, which is the site of the citadel described by Giraldus as gigantic. The small remains of its walls appear to consist of solid masonry; but this part of the fortification is, no doubt, posterior to the rest, and was most likely erected by the Normans.
The house of Miss Morgan, formerly a Cistercian abbey, has been entirely new-faced with squared stones collected from the ruins of Caerleon, as have also many others in the town. This lady has collected several Roman coins, and has other curiosities in her possession that we would gladly have examined, and were offered an introduction for that purpose; but our way-worn apparel (a false shame, if the reader insist upon it) was an obstacle in our way of accepting it. Other Roman vestiges appear in the market-house of Caerleon, which is supported by four massive Tuscan pillars. Immediately without the town, and adjoining Miss Morgan’s premises, is the Roman amphitheatre, commonly called Arthur’s round table. It is an oval concavity, seventy-four yards by sixty-four, and six deep; in which are ranges of stone seats, though now covered with earth and verdure. The foundation of its encircling walls was met with on digging in the year 1706, when a statue of Diana and two ornamental pedestals were also discovered.
In the neighbourhood of Caerleon are several encampments that were probably used for airing the troops in summer. The most remarkable are, that of the Lodge, occupying a hill in the park of Lantarnam, about a mile north-west of Caerleon; the one of Penros, a short distance to the left of the road to Usk; that at Mayndee, near Christ-church; and a fourth in the wood of St. Julian’s, towards Newport. Near the latter spot a chapel of high antiquity, dedicated to St. Julius; is now used as a barn. But St. Julian’s is more remarkable for a Gothic mansion, once the residence of the ingenious, valiant, and vain lord Herbert of Cherbury.