- Newcastle upon Tyne, also known as Newcastle, is a Port city located on the river Tyne in Tyneside.
- It was Pons Aelius, a Roman Fort on Hadrian's Wall. The Keep of Newcastle castle is built on the site of the Roman Fort, but no Roman Ruins remain today.
Newcastle’s Roman History
- Legio VI Victrix
- Around 120 CE the first Roman bridge was built across the Tyne by the Legio VI Victrix. It was called Pons Aelius, the bridge of Aelius , which was the family name of the Emperor Hadrian.
- The Legion also built the Fort and the eastern section of Hadrian's Wall, including the Fort of South Shields.
- Hadrian's Wall
- Hadrian’s Wall is a 74 mile (119km) Roman Frontier consisting of a stone wall with Forts at intervals, built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian between 122-128 CE. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- The Wall runs east-west from the Irish Sea at Bowness-on-Solway to the North Sea at Wallsend in Newcastle.
- Hadrian’s Wall was designed to end initially at Newcastle, but was then extended to Wallsend.
- Wallsend Roman Fort
- Wallsend Roman Fort was called Segedunum and is located in Wallsend on the north bank of the River Tyne in the County of Tyne and Wear.
- It was the Fort where Hadrian’s Wall ended on the River Tyne. It was a Port and safe Harbour that could shelter sea-going vessels that supplied the Wall.
- South Shields Roman Fort
- South Shields Roman Fort was called Arbeia and is located on the south bank of the mouth of the river Tyne at South Shields.
- The Fort has been reconstructed and can be visited.
- Until recently, the Tyne river Pilots were based in front of the Roman Fort and in Roman Times the river Pilots may have been based inside the Fort.
Museums
- Newcastle Castle
- A Medieval castle built on the site of the Roman Fort called Pons Aelius which guarded the bridge over the Tyne. It has excellent views over the Tyne and the cathedral. The East Coast Mainline runs under the walls of the Castle.
- Link:
- Great North Museum: Hancock
- The museum holds part of the Corbridge Hoard and a model of Hadrian’s Wall.
Roman Roads
- Military Way
- This road ran parallel to Hadrian's Wall.
- Dere Street
- A branch of Dere Street ran due north from Binchester Roman Fort, via Durham and Chester-le-Street to Newcastle.
Nearby Sites
Photo: Fred Olsen Cruise Ship ‘Bolette’ on the River Tyne near North Shields
Map: Newcastle city centre