If Arthur made Caerleon his base he would have surely chosen
this, the site of an Iron Age fort, as the location for his
'castle'.
The
site, known as 'Belinstocke' meaning stronghold of Belin,
was occupied by the Silures when the Romans arrived. Built on
the highest part of Lodge Hill it commands extensive views.
The
ramparts, up to ten metres high in places, are now overgrown
with huge trees and thick bracken. Seen in plan view, these
form enclosures looking for all the world like a giant's footprint.
The main enclosure is over 400 metres long and just under 200
metres wide.
The
Romans built a road from the North Gate of Caerleon right up
to the fort and used the hill-top as a summer camp. It clearly
would have been a most impressive site for Arthur to choose
- overlooking the Roman fortress and with views right down the
River Usk and out over the Bristol Channel!
The
Hill Fort is well worth a visit. A footpath follows the ramparts
on the South side, and a bridleway traces an ancient track through
the centre of the site. A free leaflet, produced by Newport
County Borough Council, is available in Caerleon's Tourist Office
with details of the walk. Visitors with a car should drive
up Lodge Road, which starts by the village common, and then
branch right to the top of Lodge Hill. Here parking is easy
and the footpath can be joined.
In
June 2000 a team of Archaeologists from the University of Wales,
Newport, excavated three areas of the site. Follow this
link for a report and photos.
