View source for National Roman Legion Museum

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{primary sources|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox museum
 |name          = National Roman Legion Museum
 |image         = File:Amgueddfa'r Lleng Rhufeinig.JPG
 |imagesize     = 250
 |caption       = 
 |map_type      = Wales Newport
 |map_caption   = Museum location in [[Newport, Wales]]
 |map_size      = 150
 |coordinates   = {{coord|51.61005|-2.95529|region:GB_type:landmark_dim:100|display=inline,title}}
 |established   = 
 |dissolved     =
 |location      = [[Caerleon]], [[Newport, Wales]]
 |type          = Archaeological museum
 |Owner       = 
 |car_park      = 
 |website       = [https://museum.wales/roman/ National Roman Legion Museum]
}}
The '''National Roman Legion Museum''' ([[Wales]]) ({{langx|cy|Amgueddfa Lleng Rufeinig Cymru}}) is a museum in [[Caerleon]], near [[Newport, Wales|Newport]], south-east [[Wales]]. It is one of three Roman sites in Caerleon, along with the [[Roman Baths Museum|Baths museum]] and the open-air ruins of the [[Isca Augusta#Amphitheatre|amphitheatre]] and barracks. It is part of the wider network of [[Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales]].

== History ==
{{Main|Isca Augusta}}

[[Wales in the Roman Era|Roman Wales]] was the farthest point west that the [[Roman Empire]] in [[Roman Britain]] extended to, and as a defence point the fortress at [[Isca Augusta]], now Caerleon, built in 75 AD, was one of only three permanent [[Roman Legion]]ary fortresses in [[Roman Britain]]. It was occupied and operational for just over 200 years.

The National Roman Legion Museum lies inside what remains of the fortress, and contains many [[artifact (archaeology)|artefact]]s from the period of [[Isca Augusta]] of [[Legio II Augusta]] from [[Roman currency]] to uniforms.

A short walk from the National Roman Legion Museum is the remains of Isca Augusta:
* Part of the military bath house in the [[Roman Baths Museum]]
* The most complete Roman [[amphitheatre]] in Britain
* Sections of the fortress walls
* The only remains of a [[Roman Legion|Roman legionary]] [[barracks]] on view anywhere in [[Europe]] at Prysg Field

== Museum ==
[[File:Antiquarian Museum, Caerleon.jpeg|thumb|The original museum]]
The museum is located in the centre of Roman Isca, on what was the ''via principalis'' leading to [[Isca Augusta#Amphitheatre|the amphitheatre]].<ref name="Cadw, Carleon" />

The first museum building was the Antiquarian Museum of 1850. This was built to a design by [[Henry Francis Lockwood|H.F Lockwood]] of [[Kingston upon Hull|Hull]], a simple box-shaped building of [[Bath stone]]. Its only architectural feature of note was the pillared [[portico]] in the Greek [[Doric order|Doric]] style. Little is known of the original building but it is known to have re-used ship's timbers in its roof and stone details from the Old Market House of Caerleon which had been demolished shortly before.<ref>{{Cite web
  |title=Caerleon Roman Legionary Museum, Roman Lodge, Caerleon
  |url=http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/31953/details/CAERLEON+ROMAN+LEGIONARY+MUSEUM%2C+ROMAN+LODGE%2C+CAERLEON/
  |website=[[Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales]]
  |id=NPRN 31953
}}</ref> It is often claimed that the timbers are from {{HMS|Collingwood|1841|6}}, although this ship was in service at the time and had no obvious connection to Newport.

The museum building was [[Grade II listed]] in 1951, but was largely demolished during the 1987 rebuilding and enlargement of the museum.<ref>{{Cite web
  |title=Ashlar Doric portico at The Roman Legionary Museum, Caerleon
  |website=British Listed Buildings
  |url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/wa-2990-ashlar-doric-portico-at-the-roman-legionar#.Vk4ZMr9fNgA
}}</ref> Only the portico now remains. The new building is in a modernist style, but equally featureless and windowless as the original.

As of February 2019, the site is being redeveloped and is closed to the public until autumn 2019. It will continue to offer facilities for local schools.

[[File:Legionary museum model.JPG|thumb|upright|Display model  of a legionary]]

==See also==
*[[Newport Museum]]
*[[Venta Silurum]]

==References==
{{reflist|refs=

<ref name="Cadw, Carleon" >{{Cite book
  |title=Caerleon Roman Fortress
  |edition=3rd
  |year=2003
  |publisher=[[Cadw]]
  |isbn=1-85760-159-9
  |ref={{harvid|Cadw}}
  |page=19
}}</ref>

}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|National Roman Legion Museum}}
*[https://museum.wales/roman/ Official website &ndash; National Roman Legion Museum]
*[http://www.gtj.org.uk/subjects.php?s=1106&lang=en&srch=&pg=1 Six pages of artefacts held within the museum and relating to Roman Caerleon at Gathering the Jewels]

{{Caerleon, Wales}}
{{History of Caerleon, Wales}}
{{City of Newport}}
{{Museums and art galleries in Wales}}{{Tourism in Wales}}{{Roman visitor sites in the UK}}
{{Major towns of Roman Britain}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales]]
[[Category:Culture in Newport, Wales]]
[[Category:History of Newport, Wales]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Newport, Wales]]
[[Category:Museums in Newport, Wales]]
[[Category:Landmarks in Newport, Wales]]
[[Category:Museums of ancient Rome in Wales]]
[[Category:Military and war museums in Wales]]
[[Category:Archaeological museums in Wales]]
[[Category:Caerleon]]
[[Category:Grade II listed buildings in Newport, Wales]]