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Caerleon (Welsh: Caerllion) is a suburban town and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the City of Newport, Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the location of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hillfort. The Wales National Roman Legion Museum and Roman Baths Museum are in Caerleon close to the remains of Isca Augusta. The town also has strong historical and literary associations, as Geoffrey of Monmouth (c. 1095 - c. 1155) elevated the significance of Caerleon as a major centre of British history in his Historia Regum Britanniæ, and Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) wrote Idylls of the King while staying there. [edit] LocationCaerleon is 3.5 miles (5.6 km) from Newport city centre and 5.5 miles (8.9 km) from Cwmbran. Caerleon is 2 miles (3.2 km) north of the M4 motorway. The centre of Caerleon sits in the Vale of Usk and the River Usk forms part of the community's southern boundary. In the northwest part of the town, across the railway bridges, the land rises sharply up to Lodge Wood and its hill fort. The community's western boundary is formed by the A4042 road (Heidenheim Drive) and the northern boundary partly by the Malthouse Road and partly by the Afon Llwyd river which flows southwards to the River Usk along the town's eastern side. Across the River Usk from Caerleon, to the southeast and east, St. Julian's Park, the village of Christchurch and the upland region around Christchurch Hill as far as the M4 motorway and the A449 road are also within the community. Caerleon Bridge is a bridge crossing of the River Usk at Caerleon. The stone built bridge was opened in 1806 as a replacement for the previous wooden bridge, it carries the B4236 road from Caerleon-ultra-Pontem into Caerleon itself. Prior to the opening of the A449 dual carriageway a few miles to the east in 1972, the narrow bridge and streets of Caerleon carried the trunk road from Newport to Raglan via Caerleon Bridge. [edit] HistoryFor more information, see the EN Wikipedia article Caerleon.. This is a very long History section. [edit] Research Tips
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