Venta Silurum - The Roman Town

The Roman Town

Venta was founded by the Romans in AD 75 as an administrative centre for the defeated Silures tribe in Roman Wales. Venta Silurum seems to mean "Market town of the Silures" (cf. Venta Belgarum and Venta Icenorum). This is confirmed by inscriptions on the "Civitas Silurum" stone, now on display in the parish church.

The town, located on the Roman road between Isca Augusta (Caerleon) and Glevum (Gloucester) and close to the Severn estuary, was - in contrast with nearby "Isca" - essentially established for civilian administration rather than for military purposes. The forum and basilica, the market place and centre of local government for the civitas, were built in the time of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, in the early part of the 2nd century. Public baths, and shops, including a blacksmiths, were built about the same time. Remains of farms and dwellings, some with courtyards, have also been excavated. There was also a Roman temple, perhaps dedicated to Mars and the Celtic god Ocelus. A bowl with a chi-rho symbol gives evidence of early Christian worship from the late 3rd century.

In 2008, a dig involving Wessex Archaeology and volunteers from the local Chepstow Archaeology Society, found a row of narrow shop buildings and a villa with painted walls, frescoes of Roman art and mosaic floors. Among the artefacts excavated were a bone penknife hilt depicting two gladiators fighting, coins, Roman glassware, ceramics, human and animal bones, lead patches used for repairing and pieces of mosaic. These excavations featured in Channel 4's Time Team programme, broadcast on 25 January 2009.