Being a history fan, visiting Caerleon and its Roman ruins was a long-held dream of mine – and I certainly was not disappointed. Situated on the outskirts of Newport, South Wales, Caerleon – known as Isca when it was originally built – is an area of great historical and archaeological importance. It is the site of a Roman fortress and served as the headquarters of the Second Augustan Legion from the first to the beginning of the fourth century; in fact, the name Caerleon itself possibly derives from the Welsh meaning 'fortress of the legion'. A multitude of sights can be seen here,...

Being a history fan, visiting Caerleon and its Roman ruins was a long-held dream of mine – and I certainly was not disappointed. Situated on the outskirts of Newport, South Wales, Caerleon – known as Isca when it was originally built – is an area of great historical and archaeological importance. It is the site of a Roman fortress and served as the headquarters of the Second Augustan Legion from the first to the beginning of the fourth century; in fact, the name Caerleon itself possibly derives from the Welsh meaning 'fortress of the legion'. A multitude of sights can be seen here, including the thermal baths, the amphitheatre and the only Roman barracks which are visible in Europe. Probably the most famous of the sights is the thermal baths, which in its heyday was a huge leisure complex with an open-air swimming pool, heated changing rooms, exercise rooms and a number of hot and cold baths. Leisure time was extremely important to the Romans, so opulent baths were the order of the day. The only thing a Roman might enjoy more than relaxing in the thermal pools was the blood and gore of the gladiator fights at the amphitheatre, built in 90AD. Also in Caerleon is the National Roman Legion Museum, which houses important artefacts found during excavations of the sites. One of the most prized finds is the Bath stone coffin. The museum have used 3D technology to determine what the man would have looked like in Roman times using his skeleton. Another piece of priceless value is a first century wooden tablet, the oldest writing in Wales to be discovered. Other pieces on display include mosaics, coins and a reconstruction of the barracks. Unfortunately, the museum is closed until autumn 2019 for essential building repairs, but it is a must-see when it eventually reopens. The ruins of Caerleon also play their part in the story of King Arthur and his knights. The amphitheatre is said to have been used as the famous Round Table of Arthurian legend, and many Celtic sources mention the city as Arthur's seat and stronghold, most notably Geoffrey of Monmouth. These Roman buildings stood until the early 13th century, when they were then possibly plundered for building materials; this was at a time when William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke and an Anglo-Norman soldier, seized Caerleon Castle and set about rebuilding it in stone, which he most probably took from the Roman structures. The remaining ruins have survived until this day, despite many a turbulent time in the area's history, such as the Welsh Revolt in 1402 and the English Civil War. I particularly loved the National Roman Legion Museum. History, for me, is a fascinating subject and I have always enjoyed looking at old artefacts as it really makes me think how resourceful humans were, to not have had the technology we do now but to have still been able to create such beautiful, intricate and wonderful things. Roaming around the ruins of Caerleon, it's easy to imagine how Roman life would be. A visit to the town can easily be combined with Caerwent, only 12 miles away. Called Venta Silurum back in Roman times, it was the first town founded in Wales and is home to various interesting Roman ruins, including a Roman-Celtic temple, a forum basilica and other buildings.