Page:Walker (1888) The Severn Tunnel.djvu/42

Rh Rather more to the south, at a distance of about 7 miles, is the dark headland of Portishead, with the docks at its foot. On a clear day, a long strip of the coast in the direction of Weston-super-Mare is to be seen, and at times the island known as the ‘Steep Holm,’ lying below Cardiff, also.

The sea-wall which protected the meadows south-west of the camp has been entirely destroyed for a distance of many miles, and the wasting of the land still continues.

In consequence of the destruction of the sea-wall, the equinoctial spring-tides flow over a vast extent of meadow-land, and on one occasion, as we shall afterwards have to relate, the water passed over the whole of the meadows to a depth of more than 5 feet.

From the Roman camp at Sudbrook there can still be traced the remains of a Roman road, running nearly north-west, to intersect the main road, which passed through Chepstow in the direction of Caerleon.

At rather less than a mile from the camp is the village of Portskewett, beautifully situated, but exhibiting signs of neglect with its ugly, squalid and dirty cottages and farmyards; and above the village rises Portskewett Hill, where the mountain limestone has been upheaved.

The Roman road from the camp continues its course till it intersects the main road at the hamlet of Crick, about 1 mile to the west of which is the