Caerleon festival brings in the crowds (From South Wales Argus)

Caerleon festival brings in the crowds

5:00pm Sunday 15th July 2012 in Gwent news By Charles Booth

RAIN didn't spoil the tenth Caerleon Festival with nearly 4,000 people flocking to the event.

The final festival weekend events were moved to the Hanbury Arms and Quay, Millennium Gardens and Bell Inn because of the bad weather but that didn't deter the crowds from turning out.

Chairman of the festival committee, Tim Davidson said: "Despite the weather it's been a very successful event. We could not use the field which meant a change of venue."

A performance of Richard the Third in the Roman Amphitheatre was one of the highlights and there was plenty of other stuff with national poet of Wales Gillian Clarke performing her poetry at the Bathhouse and well known performance poet, comedian, musician and songwriter John Hegley performing at Caerleon Town Hall.

The Arthur Machen literary walk took 35 walkers from the Bathhouse and finished at the Hanbury Field. Along the way walkers visited sites which inspired the influential supernatural, fantasy and horror fiction writer born in Caerleon.

Incorporated into the programme was the grand opening of the third phase of the new Caerleon Cycle Path on Saturday with dignitaries such as Presiding Officer for the Wales Assembly Rosemary Butler and Deputy Mayor of Newport, Cliff Suller in attendance.