quote:

Originally posted by Owain G:
Have a luverley day and enjoy yourselves bois and girls

Oh I did mucker.

Mwwwwahahahahahah!!!

quote:

Originally posted by greyrider:
As Newport bridge wasn't thought to have been built till some time in the 12th, it seems likely any Roman route would have crossed via their own perfectly good bridge at Caerleon, wandered over Christchurch and thence to Bassaleg.

As for the links in between, no idea, but as Newport didn't exist in their day and seems generally to have been wetland, it's doubtful they'd have gone near it.

The Pont Ebbw is firmly placed near the Newport end of Tredegar Park so your routes are actually one and the same.

Rumour has it that the Roman road went from Tredegar Park to Bassaleg and then over the high ground to emerge somewhere near what would become Cardiff.

I presume that this theory is because they found part of a Roman road close to the Usk between Caerleon and Tredegar Park?

Why, if you were going to travel to Bassaleg from Caerleon, would you want to go any where near Christchurch?

Its the wrong flipping way mun.

As I said, "no idea".

I'm sorry if it came over the wrong way.

I know you said no idea but even then you have gone the wrong way towards Bassaleg.

If I have time I will put some info down on that place tomorrow.

Excellent, I've looked, albeit not in anger, but haven't found much on Roman roads in this area. The reason I mentioned going over the bridge at Caerleon was to direct the OP's attention to the fact that the Newport bridge wouldn't have existed then. I do know there was, supposedly, a Roman route along the high ground at Christchurch, but couldn't make that link to Bassaleg hence my later post suggesting the ford at the end of Lodge Road - Pillmawr Road as it becomes - exiting in the Malpas region.

You have to look a bit further north from Malpas to see the earthworks that travel towards Bassaleg.

Fancy giving out a bit more of a clue?

Try and look at a topographical map of the area and you will see there is only one logical choice that they would have chosen.

How's that?

Well that's me sorted then.

Hi greyrider-have we got a riddle here then?What fun! A challenge!
Lets have a look at googleearth....

Have you been down to find the place you say the ruins on the map yet? That would be really cool if we could find that.

I'm still waitng to hear if the medicos will let me have my licence back, so no. The response I had from the Glamorgan/Gwent SMR did make me laugh out loud though - apparantly the site was removed from more modern maps because they have no proof of it's existence. You'd think trotting along and taking a look to be part of the function, but there you go. And the other site, Gwern-y-cleppa, isn't listed either so feel free to plough it in and build there. I give up really. Can't even find a Roman road <sigh>.

Hi Greyrider! Well I haven't had much luck, but reckon there must have been a bridge at Caerleon and they probably forded (talking about Gerald and Baldwin 1188)the river at Newbridge as well on way from Abergavenny. The Romans were good bridge builders and may have built a bridge on the site of the present railway bridge perhaps.They would have had to cross the Usk if they arrived in Newport and preached at the preaching Cross at St Woolos.

There was a ridgeway track from Caerleon right up the Ridge to Bedwellty I learned yesterday. I might ask at the university if they don't know on here.It is very old stuff and they have more resources at the university and are very keen to help so we'll get there. Not got a lot of faith in the archeologists either.

Gwern y cleppa could be searchable in the old books. All the documents seem to have been taken to the National Library of Wales too and I used to go to uni in Aber so might contact them.Don't let it destroy your enthusuasm-we'll get there and find someone who knows.

If they did built a bridge (probably wooden) over the Usk where I think it would have taken them straight up the hill up to St Gwynlliw/Woolos and along the ridge and straight down to Bassaleg. There is a Roman OS map available and think it does link Caerleon with Bassaleg via bridges. They were good at building them.

quote:

Originally posted by greyrider:
I'm still waitng to hear if the medicos will let me have my licence back, so no. The response I had from the Glamorgan/Gwent SMR did make me laugh out loud though - apparantly the site was removed from more modern maps because they have no proof of it's existence. You'd think trotting along and taking a look to be part of the function, but there you go. And the other site, Gwern-y-cleppa, isn't listed either so feel free to plough it in and build there. I give up really. Can't even find a Roman road <sigh>.

Greyrider, where did you first read about Gwern y Cleppa? I remember reading somewhere that Dafydd ap Gwilym used to visit there and if he did, he would have gone to Mass at Basseleg church, cos the priory was gone by then. There must be details of it in the Welsh Chronicles perhaps?

I just can't remember where I read it.....

Replying to Notoclart's riddle about the earthworks north of Malpas- Do you mean travelling through what is now Bettws-i.e. Newport-north of Malpas, left at Bassaleg, down to what is the mountain road from Henllys to Rogerstone, past 14 Locks and down towards Bassaleg,crossing at a small wooden bridge called 'Pont Ebbwy' in the old documents?

Quite a lot of twists for a Roman road, but I guess the terrain warrants it. I have travelled on that mountain road a lot and it is the only one that makes sense.

Actually, I was born at Gwern-y-cleppa, or at least at the house standing just in the edge of the wood. We were always told it used to be the gate house although that seems doubrful as Cleppa was a medieval manor. Why would anyone necessarily have gone to Bassaleg? There may have been a chapel or resident clergyman at the holding.

I think St Gwladys had a nunnery or convent along there according to the records and the Ebbw and Weir formed a small pool, called :Cadocs Pwl in the Bassaleg Charters. Someone said it may have been a Roman basilica, but I would more readily think it was a temple-like a Temple of Jupiter-there was one at the site of St Cadoc's in Caerleon (excavated)Reading back on the posts it seemed the Romans used a road from Cardiff (Caer-Taff)to Abergavenny (Gobanion) and they branched off towards Caerleon from that(perhaps going along that mountain road I mentioned, up to Pontypool and to Abergavenny that way.

I think by the time of Gerald, I feel bridges would have been built. Gerald describes coming to Newport directly from Caerleon and the meeting of the would be Crusaders. A Knight of the Sepulchre was interred at St Woolos and he must have been one.

I'll see what I can find out about Gwern y Cleppa. Did you write to Time Team? Did you see the programme from the dig at Portskewett- I was really annoyed I missed that!!! Back soon.

No, I didn't write to TT, was I supposed too? I'm uncertain that either site would be suitable for them, the priory is now unproven and possibly in woodland again while Cleppa is definitely in thick tree cover. I know they aren't too keen on wooded areas for the obvious reasons so thought it not worth the bother. It'd probably take them three days to clear the ground!
You missed not a lot, as they say, factwise on the Portskewett programme, although it was excellent otherwise and very upbeat; with one mighty leap from a tiny pot sherd they suddenly claimed to have found the king's hunting lodge. It was like a blast from the past, very old school TT, but Tony or the producers seemed to ignore all the established and current knowledge on the site and area. Hmm.

notaclart.... dear boy, if you'd care to drop in at the TFI you might help resolve a recent problem...

[QUOTE] Did you see the programme from the dig at Portskewett- I was really annoyed I missed that!!! QUOTE]
Hi Benedictine - sorry this is after the fact, but More 4 showed a repeat of this programme this morning - along with 'The Castles' and 'Vinovia'. However, this does mean that More 4 have now got hold of the 2008 series, so chances are it won't be too long before it turns up again

quote:

Originally posted by Valerie:
[QUOTE] Did you see the programme from the dig at Portskewett- I was really annoyed I missed that!!! QUOTE]
Hi Benedictine - sorry this is after the fact, but More 4 showed a repeat of this programme this morning - along with 'The Castles' and 'Vinovia'. However, this does mean that More 4 have now got hold of the 2008 series, so chances are it won't be too long before it turns up again

Yesterday actually.

quote:

Originally posted by Valerie:
[QUOTE] Did you see the programme from the dig at Portskewett- I was really annoyed I missed that!!! QUOTE]
Hi Benedictine - sorry this is after the fact, but More 4 showed a repeat of this programme this morning - along with 'The Castles' and 'Vinovia'. However, this does mean that More 4 have now got hold of the 2008 series, so chances are it won't be too long before it turns up again

Hi Valerie -nice to meet you! Thanks for the info.I wondered if they did DVDs of Time Team but if it has been repeated perhaps I'll keep my eyes open on 4 and More 4!

I had read that Harold had landed there from Flat Holme where he had been in 'exile' and was responsible for the church at Portskewett.(Porth Iscoed) but the Hunting Lodge thing sounds quite exciting. Ev

quote:

Originally posted by greyrider:
No, I didn't write to TT, was I supposed too? I'm uncertain that either site would be suitable for them, the priory is now unproven and possibly in woodland again while Cleppa is definitely in thick tree cover. I know they aren't too keen on wooded areas for the obvious reasons so thought it not worth the bother. It'd probably take them three days to clear the ground!
You missed not a lot, as they say, factwise on the Portskewett programme, although it was excellent otherwise and very upbeat; with one mighty leap from a tiny pot sherd they suddenly claimed to have found the king's hunting lodge. It was like a blast from the past, very old school TT, but Tony or the producers seemed to ignore all the established and current knowledge on the site and area. Hmm.

Hi there!
Just a comment about the Priory. Professor David Williams in his map which I bought from the Monmouthshire Record Office called 'The Ecclesiastical map of Monmouthshire'gives an alternative priory site.This seems quite west of Bassaleg, almost at Machen and seemingly almost on the border of the old border of the county. Someone of his eminence must have a source for that somewhere.Ev