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'Roman' Arches
In The Bull Cellar
Mr Humphrey
Jones, proprietor of the Olde Bull Inn in the 1930s, is pointing
out some Roman brick in one of the arches in the pub's cellar.
The arches were said to be Roman in origin. Our photographer recently
visited the Bull to get some shots of the cellar. He was disappointed
to find that the arches were filled in and the walls plastered
and painted white. The only feature linking present with past
was the stone steps.
When you look at these arches it's not surprising that according
to local folklore the Bull and Priory were connected by a tunnel.
Excavations in Caerleon have revealed quite a few Roman underground
passages - mostly drains. Gerald of Wales wrote the following
after visiting Caerleon on his tour of Wales in 1188:
"Wherever you look, both within and without the circuit
of these walls, you can see constructions dug deep into the earth,
conduits for water, underground passages and air-vents."
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