Day 19: Turning to the Sylvan Wye

Today I went on tour of some amazing sites outside of Cardiff.  When doing research for this trip, my mother stumbled upon a company called See Wales Tours that runs trips from Cardiff, including one title Romans and Ruins.  The itinerary was a visit to the Roman amphitheater, baths, and museum in Caerleon, the Roman town in Caerwent, Tintern Abbey in Wye Valley, and Raglan Castle.

I met the group outside the National Museum Cardiff at 9:00 and we were soon heading out of Cardiff.  Our first stop was the the amphitheater at Caerleon.  Unlike the two other amphitheaters I've seen on this trip, the whole circumference of the Caerleon theater is excavated.  This made it a really striking sight.  The ground level is about twelve to fifteen feet higher than in Roman times, so though the theater looks very low today, it would have been a very imposing fixture on the banks of the River Usk.  

One of the amphitheater's main features was a shrine to Nemesis, the goddess of divine retribution.  There was a very similar shrine in the amphitheater at Chester, as Nemesis was closely connected to gladiatorial competitions.  The amphitheater at Caerleon is slightly smaller than the one in Chester, seating around 6,000 people.

From the amphitheater, we headed to the bath complex.  The complex was much larger than what is shown today.  Today, platforms take you around the full extent of the natatio (an open air swimming pool), part of the apodyteria (warmed changing rooms), and a small portion of the frigidarium (the cold room).

The lightly in the museum hosting the bath remains was not particularly conducive to photography, so I haven't included any photos.  That being said, the lighting did some very cool effects.  A project played videos of swimmers doing laps in the natatio, accompanied with the sounds of splashing and cannonballs, and red light played over the hypocaust that would have heated the apodyteria.  It was a sort of lovely effect, breathing some life into the ruins.  I think it's especially great with the large number of school trips we saw visiting the site.

The museum at Caerleon had a lot of great items, but I was surprised that it might not have been quite as extensive as the museum in Newport.  Still, I got see lovely collections of local and imported pottery, large inscribed stones, coins from throughout the occupation of Britain, and, of course, Roman military paraphernalia.

Caerleon was home to a Roman fort, built by the Legio II Augusta.  The first fort was built around the mid-70s CE and was occupied until the Legio II Augusta left Britain in around 290 CE.  Evidence left behind by the army included spearheads, like the bronze one seen above, arrow heads, a helmet, axe heads, and everything else needed to wage war and house an army.  It was also nice to see some artifacts from the Roman cavalry, which are not very commonly seen in Britain.  These artifacts probably came from a cavalry attachment to the legion.  One piece that they had seems to have been a nailed on horse shoe, but I've heard conflicting stories about when these were invented and came into use.  I'll have to investigate more!

The museum also had plenty of artifacts from the everyday life in a Roman town.  A great detail the exhibit included was a model of a Roman loaf of bread.  It's wonderful because it shows how Roman bakers marketed themselves.  With a stamp bearing his name, the baker imprinted the loaves of bread, so every bite reminded the buyer who had baked the delicious bread and maybe tipped off a few passersby as well!

The museum had a fair number of Roman inscriptions, ranging from commemorations of temple renovation to funerary markers for Roman veterans.  Now I have to feel bad for Julia Senica (maybe Seneca) and whomever paid for her tombstone to be engraved.  I don't think they did a very good job.  But it probably suggests that Julia Senica was from a rather poor family who could not afford one of the better engravers, and instead ended up with something that looks like my handwriting.

To my disappointment, we missed the barracks in Caerleon and headed out.  This disappointment continued as our next destination was announced as Tintern Abbey in the Wye Valley, rather than Caerwent, the other Roman site I was planning on visiting.  But I had planned an extra day in the Cardiff area if something like this occurred, and I was soon distracted by the beauty of the Wye Valley.

I think I quite literally lost my breath when I first saw Tintern Abbey from the van.  Huge, open stone arches in the middle of the beautiful valley landscape.  I was struck by the immense scale of the ruins and the haunting skeleton of the buildings.

Wandering through the abbey, I was pretty overwhelmed; I wanted to capture everything, but almost didn't know how to start.  Though the ruins are extensive, the most beautiful portion (in my opinion, and I suspect many others) is the ruined church.  The building in ruins today dates from the 13th century, although the abbey was founded in the 12th century.

Tintern Abbey was home to Cistercian Monks, who are also known as White Monks because of the color of their cucculas, robes worn over a habit.  Cistercians, like most monks it seems, rejected opulence and lived austere lives, so they did not dye their robes, leaving them the off-white color of a sheep.  Our tour guide, Adrian, did have a great point though: how could you live in such a magnificent, beautiful place, and not find it opulent?

Responding to a request from my mother, I had Adrian and some fellow travelers take photos of me throughout the day.

Like almost all abbeys and monasteries in the British Isles, the Dissolution destroyed any chance of Tintern's survival.  The abbeys valuables were sent to the crown, the about and monks were paid and sent off, and the lead from the abbey roof was sold, leading to the quick demise of the buildings.  Over the centuries, the abbey lay vacant and was slowly reused to building homes and farms around the area.

Tintern Abbey has inspired a great deal of amazing art, from painting to poetry.  J.M.W. Turner painted the ruins in 1795 and writers, such as Alfred, Lord Tennyson and Allen Ginsberg were inspired by visits.  Perhaps most notably, and the inspiration of this post's title, was William Wordsworth's poem "Lines written a few miles above Tintern Abbey."  I recommend rereading it, as it is a beautiful, classic English Romantic poem.

Also, if, for any reason, you are traveling to Wales, make sure you go to Tintern Abbey.  I can't express, and I don't think my photos can either, how beautiful and fascinating it was.

After having lunch at the Tintern Abbey Mill Craft Center, we headed out of the Wye Valley and towards Raglan Castle.  Raglan Castle is one of the youngest castles in Wales, being built in the mid-1400s.  The castle has a wonderful main gateway, called the White Gate.  It would have been a dominating sight from throughout the countryside.

I've also been struck by the Welsh countryside throughout my trip.  It often reminds me of the Tuscan hills, especially the farmland around Raglan Castle.  I feel like this view from a window in the castle could easily be looking at the Italian countryside.

There is also a Norman style motte and keep built next to the castle.  Apparently I was feeling a bit masochistic, and decided to climb to the top of the keep.  It gave great views of the main castle and the countryside.  I have lots of great facts about the castle, but to be completely honest I'm too tired right now decide which to share.  So ask me another time!

After our Raglan Castle, we made our way back to Cardiff, fighting through some traffic, but getting back to Cardiff Castle in about forty-five minutes.  I then had a quiet evening, dominated by processing and editing my 500+ photos from the day!  A pretty amazing day, especially for one of my final ones in Wales!

Fun Fact #19: Did you know that both garderobes and wardrobes are derived from medieval toilets?  A garderobe was a small hole, providing an exit for detritus from the castle.  This detritus included human waste, as castle residents would go to the bathroom by these holes and then it would be washed out.  Now, you would be very right to ask how clothes got combined with toilets.  Folks in medieval times theorized that the garderobes smelled so badly that it would pretty much scare off anything.  So, if they hung there clothes near the garderobes, all the fleas and lice that bothered them would scurry out of their garments.  I wonder how this worked.  It seems like all the smell might just attract more bugs...  Either way, I'm sure we're all very happy that garderobes and wardrobes are sonly for clothes now!

Day 13: Spending an Afternoon at the Amphitheater

So today I managed to miss a bus while standing at a bus stop.  It's not entirely my fault, I swear!  After a relaxed morning in Llandovery, I found out that the bus would be a much more efficient and easier way to get to Carmarthen.  So I trotted across the street to the bus stop and stood by the stand, waiting for the bus and finishing a podcast.  The bus was a few minutes late, so I was trying to find something else to listen to.  As I looked back up, I watched my bus zoom by on the main road.  The bus stop was just off the main road, but the bus showed no intention of coming over to the stop.  I thought maybe it would come around on a loop, but alas, I was wrong.  It sped away...without me.

So I just headed the twenty steps to the train station and took a bit longer and a bit more complicated route to Carmarthen.  Both my guidebooks were pretty down on Carmarthen, just as they were about Holyhead, so I was a bit skeptical of what I'd find.  So far, I've been pleasantly surprised!  The town is definitely more developed than most of the towns I've stayed in, it is still charming.  Much of the history has been covered with larger stores and parking lots, but there are still nice side streets and a beautiful county office house.

After checking into my hotel, I decided to make my way to the only surviving part of the Roman settlement in Carmarthen: the amphitheater.  The remains are a bit outside the center of town and as I made my way there, I was distracted by a church.  The church, St. Peter's, apparently marked one end of where the Roman fort would have been.

Walking into the church, the first thing I saw was a Roman altar sitting in the entryway.  The altar had been found on the main Roman road through the town, but was brought to the church.  I thought it was an interesting mixing of religions, a pagan altar in a Christian church.

The church was lovely on the inside, with a nave and a parallel southern aisle, which were both lined with beautiful, carved wooden pews.  The red tiling, along with the red hue in the wood, gave a rich color and light to the building.  I was intrigued by the sort of parallel structure of the church.  It seemed a bit odd, as some of those in the southern aisle would certainly not be able to see the altar or possible the pulpit.

But the southern aisle has its own treasure: the tomb of the Richard III's killer.  According to some sources, including Welsh poet Guto'r Glyn, Rhys ap Thomas struck down Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth Field.  It is (of course) unclear if he was actually the one to do the deal, but it is very clear that Henry Tudor was very pleased with Thomas's service in the War of the Roses.  Following the end of the war and the crowning of Henry VII, Thomas was named Constable and Lieutenant of Breconshire, Chamberlain of Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire, Seneschall and Chancellor of Haverfordwest, Rouse and Builth, Justiciar of South Wales, Governor of all Wales, a member of the Privy Councillor, and a Knight of the Garter.  Certainly an unexpected piece of history (or legend) to stumble upon!

I continued down the road to the Roman amphitheater.  The amphitheater is one of only four known in Wales.  It is slightly smaller than the one in Chester and could have seated around 5,000 people.  The amphitheater is a much narrower oval shape than others I've seen, including the one in Chester.  The amphitheater was placed just outside the Roman town, called Moridunum, and along the Roman road that connected the settlement to forts in the area, like the one just outside Llandovery.

The amphitheater is the only part of Roman settlement that is visible above ground; the entire remains of the town and fort are covered by the modern town.  In the 70s CE, the site was first developed to hold a large fort, but this was soon reduced in size.  By the mid 2nd century, the fort was abandoned, but the settlement around it developed into the town, Moridunum.  In the 3rd century, the fort was reoccupied and the town was thriving, becoming one of the largest settlements in Wales.  It also seems to have been a pretty good example of a Roman and native amalgamation, maybe similar to what occurred in Wroxeter.

After absorbing the remains of the amphitheater, I followed a map to the promise of another information sign about Roman's in the area.  This brought me to the remains of Carmarthen Castle.  The remains are just behind the county offices and only a wall, towers, and a gate still stand.  

I was able to go up on to the walls of the castle and up to the top of the castle gate.  It took me a while to track down the flag flying, but I believe I've found it.  It seems to be the flag of the princely House of Dinefwr, a royal house in Wales founded in 854 CE, and the Kingdom of Deheubarth, a kingdom in southern Wales from 920-1197 CE.  The flag was inherited as the arms of the Talbot family, which (if I understand correctly) have been the Earls of Shrewsbury since 1442 to present day.

Though most of the castle is gone, and even half the gate is gone, the parts that remain are quite striking.  The gate consisted of path leading between two towers.  It would have been defended with a portcullis and a machicolation seen here.  A machicolation is a defensive feature of many castles which allowed defenders to drop objects on enemies at the gate from above.  Smaller holes that served the same function were called murder holes.

In a small courtyard by the castle remains, there was another informational panel about the Roman town and the surrounding area (I've already shared some of the better facts found there).  Sadly, that concluded my tour of Roman Carmarthen.  All the other secrets are trapped underground!  (Or in museums not in Carmarthen)

Fun Fact #13:  Legend tells that Merlin, of Arthurian lore, was born in a cave outside Carmarthen.  In fitting with this, there as an oak tree in the town called Merlin's Oak.  The tree was actually planted in celebration of Charles II's return to the throne in 1659 or 1660, but still came with this prophecy: "When Merlin's Oak shall tumble down,/Then shall fall Carmarthen town."  Sadly, the tree died in the mid-19th century and was eventually removed in the 1970s.  Luckily, the town still stands!

Day 2: Exploring (Roman) Chester

Today was a busy day.  I set out to tackle the Roman sites of Chester and succeeded...and then some!

Here's a brief outline of what I did today:

I started by walking the walls of the city.  The walls of Chester are the longest and most intact city walls in Britain.  Much of the walls is composed of the original Roman walls with medieval improvements and modifications.  This includes new towers and extensions beyond the Roman wall.  With a little exception for renovations, I was able to walk around the entirety of old Chester, with beautiful views of the streets below and landscapes with the River Dee.

At Bridgegate, I got off the city walls and crossed the Old Dee Bridge.  The bridge, built in 1387, crosses the river just upriver of the 11th century weir.  Across the Dee, I came to Edgar's Field to see the Roman shine mentioned in yesterday's fun fact.  In a completely green field, with a play area for young children and paths along the river, a huge chunk of sandstone sits.  Built onto the face of the sandstone is the Roman shrine dedicated to Minerva.

I was amazed by what details I could make out on the shrine.  It was quite vague, but I had some hints for what to look for.  I was immediately fairly certain that the framing around the altar was a much later addition.  I heard that the shrine may have survived because Christians thought it was a depiction of the Virgin Mary and I wonder if it could have been added in that period.  Looking at the actual shrine, it is possible to make out a damaged figure standing in a temple.  By the right shoulder of the figure there there is another damaged image.  It seems to be of an owl, the symbol of Minerva.  Surrounding them is the temple, with two columns on either side and a roof covering the figures.  In the image below I've marked (as best I could) the temple in red, the owl in green, and Minerva in purply blue.

As I ogled at the shrine and took notes, it began raining so I scampered off to explore Handbridge, the village of Chester where the shrine is.  I came across a beautiful church called St. Mary's Without-the-Walls, but chickened out on going in because I believe a Sunday service had just finished.  I retreated back towards Chester as the rain ended.

Back in Chester I dove into more Roman sites, heading towards the "Roman Gardens" and the amphitheater.  The gardens were a bit disappointing; a somewhat random collection of Roman stones found in the area laid out in the shape of a shrine to Aesculapius...with no explanation as to why.  None of the stones were originally in this location nor was there any mention of a shrine to Aesculapius in Chester.  The amphitheater was also left something to be desired.  Though the largest Roman amphitheater in Britain, it PALES in comparison to others like the Colosseum.  The amphitheater in Chester could seat 7,000, as compared to the roughly 60,000 of the Colosseum.  Only half of the amphitheater is excavated, but much of the walls and such still remain underground.  A very beautiful mural depicts the other "half" of the amphitheater.

After a lunch of fish and chips (and mushy peas!), I headed to the Grosvenor Museum.  I spent an inordinate amount of time in just two rooms of the museum (this makes me worried for the British Museum...).  I was very excited to see my first examples of Romano-British material culture.  There was imported pottery from Gaul and Africa and locally made pottery, hobnail sandals, roof tiles with the names of the legions stationed in Chester, inscribed water pipes, glasswork, animal bones, jewelry, and so much more.  Some particular items that I really thought were cool were a lead holder for clay lanterns, a whistle made form a deer antler, and a radiate coin of Probus (the same a emperor that is in the coin of my ring).  There was one more special item, but that's for today's fun fact!

The photo above is a model of the Roman fortress, known as Deva, from the museum.  It shows the fortress, which covered 56 acres, and the surrounding area, including the beginnings of a settlement and the amphitheater.  This model shows just how orderly Deva was laid out and established and the commanding spot it occupied on the Dee River.  From here, the Romans established control over northwest England and northern Wales.

The museum also has a wonderful collection of Roman tombstones.  Most of the tombs were found along the southern road leading to Chester.  They have a variety of stones, some for couples, some with gods, one to a man who died in a shipwreck, and many other varieties.  After taking a tour of the grave stones and briefly viewing the other collections in the museum, I had completed my Roman tour of Chester.

I wandered around Chester, hoping I could figure out a way into the castle which I had seen from the city walls.  Unfortunately, it was closed or not open to the public.  I stumbled upon St. Mary's centre, an old church that has been turned into an educational center.  Inside a wonderful chorus was rehearsing and I was SO tempted to poke my head in, but I once again chickened out.  I didn't want to be a distraction.  From there, I wandered along the Groves, an area running beside the Dee.  I listened to the Denton Brass Band play a song from Les Misérables and crossed the Queen's Park suspension bridge.  From the other side of the Dee, I took the photo above of suspension bridge.  As I headed back towards my hotel, I tried to go one of the two last sites I had planned on seeing: the former cathedral of Chester, St. John the Baptist's Church.  Unfortunately, the church had closed for the day, but I was able to wander through some of the chapels that lay in ruins.  The church looks gorgeous and I'm excited to visit before I leave Chester tomorrow.

After an extremely successful day, I ended my tour of (mostly) Roman Chester at 4:30 pm.  A very well spent six hours!

Fun Fact #2: Today I learned that these small glass vessels below are called lachrymatories.  As the sign below says they "supposedly" caught tears, which is a nice way of saying that they were almost certainly never used for that purpose, but as the sign continues, the carried unguents and perfumes to pour on graves of dead loved ones.  But lachrymatory is a much cooler word!