CAER-WENT, a parish in the upper division of the
hundred of CALDICOTT, county of MONMOUTH, Simile's
(W. S.W.) from. Chepstow, containing, with the hamlet
of Crick, 394 inhabitants. The living is a discharged
vicarage, united to that of Mathern, in the archdeaconry
and diocese of Llandaff, rated in the king's books
at £7. 11. 8. The church is dedicated to St. Stephen.
There is a place of worship for Particular Baptists. This
place, now an inconsiderable village, was anciently a
Roman station, the Venta Silurum of Antoninus'. Itinerary,
and is supposed to have been the site of the capital
city of the Britons in Siluria: it is still partially environed
by the original Roman walls, enclosing an
area of about a mile in circumference: the turnpike
road to Newport, which is here upon part of the Roman
road Akeman-street, passes through the centre, where
formerly stood the eastern and western gates. Coins
fragments of columns, statues, sepulchral stones, and
tesselated pavements belonging to that people, have
been discovered: some of the latter were very curious
and beautiful. At a small distance stand the magnificent
ruins of Caldicott castle, formerly in the possession
of the Bohuns, earls of Hereford: it is still surrounded
by a moat: the side fronting the village is flanked by
a large round tower, and at the northern angle is a
circular tower, on a mound of earth, evidently the keep,
encircled by a ditch: another circular dilapidated tower
stands at the southern angle. The principal entrance
consists of a fine arched gateway, flanked by massive
turrets. Within are the remains of several apartments
particularly the baronial hall; and opposite to the grand
gateway is another entrance, through a fine hexagonal
tower, with a machicolated roof.