After a hearty breakfast, we set off to visit Caerleon. The day was sunny and warm and, based on our previous experiences here, did not bode well. Still, we plotted a route through the glorious gently rolling countryside and found Caerleon without incident, an absolute first for us on this trip.
Caerleon has bee
n on my radar for decades because it's considered a legitimate possibility for the location of Camelot. The theory goes as follows: Caerleon was one 
of 3 legion bases in Roman Britain from the first to the third centuries AD. The fortress was substantial and a large civillian population sprang up within and outside the walls. There were several large administrative buildings, large public baths ( partially excavated ) and a sizeable amphitheatre ( also excavated ). During its heyday, an entire legion ( the XXth ) was based there, which meant that it was home to more than 6,000 men. Add numerous civillians and the population of the town was substantial.
n on my radar for decades because it's considered a legitimate possibility for the location of Camelot. The theory goes as follows: Caerleon was one 
of 3 legion bases in Roman Britain from the first to the third centuries AD. The fortress was substantial and a large civillian population sprang up within and outside the walls. There were several large administrative buildings, large public baths ( partially excavated ) and a sizeable amphitheatre ( also excavated ). During its heyday, an entire legion ( the XXth ) was based there, which meant that it was home to more than 6,000 men. Add numerous civillians and the population of the town was substantial.Now, that's the known historical part, which you can plainly see if you visit. Arthur comes in later. Forget all the Mallory, Tennyson, T.H. White, and Broadway musical stuff about Arthur and Camelot. Arthur, if he existed, was probably a fifth century Celtic warlord who tried to fill the gap created when the Romans pulled out of Britain. He was probably a tribal chief to whom the local people looked for leadership and protection, especially with the advance of the foreign Saxons from the south-west of England. Arthur would need a fortress, a capital from which to operate. I believe it was Caerleon.
While I was enjoying my tour of the Roman ruins, I kept trying to imagine Caerleon in post-Roman, chaotic, violent and uncertain Britain. The Roman structures would be in some disrepair, but not in the ruins they are now. In other words, they have been useable, liveable, and repairable for fifth century Britain. Caerleon is protected, productive countryside, where farms could have supported a fair population, as they did in Roman times. Artisans and tradesmen would have been able to live and work there, providing the tools and weapons needed for Arthur's army.
I think Caerleon gets the nod for the possible site of Camelot. Other contenders in Cornwall, Exeter, Salisbury and Winchester ( all places I have visited ) and Cadbury Castle ( a site which I have not yet visited ) claim to be Camelot. But the problem for me is that they are all in Saxon England. Wales is mostly Celtic and not Saxon, and Arthur must have been Celtic too. So, until someone tells me otherwise, I insist that I have found my Camelot.
We successfully returned to Abergavenny and strolled around the town, admiring St. Mary's Church, and enjoyed a nice tea and scone. We have decided to stay one more day in Abergavenny, then attempt our last two days in Wales in the modern capital of Cardiff before heading to Northumberland. The sun continues to shine on our lovely 15th century B and B and its wild English style gardens. We are no longer afraid of the brightness.
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