| Summary : The site of the Roman bridge (south abutment) across the River Tyne south of Corbridge. The threat of erosion led to a joint project between Tyne and Wear Museums and English Heritage, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, to record, dismantle, and reassemble the remains of the bridge. The road ramp was excavated in 2004 and over 300 blocks were reassembled a short distance from the current river bank. The Roman bridge consisted of as many as 11 stone arches, standing to a possible 9 metres above the river. The ramp was built to take Dere Street across the bridge by a gentle gradient. The road approached the bridge at right angles from the east. The north side of the ramp was formed by a massive wall along the river bank made of stone blocks (an example of opus quadratum ' a Roman technique of fitting blocks together with very narrow joints and no mortar). The road ramp had been rebuilt during the Roman period, probably following a flood. The blocks were all reused in the revetting wall. The details of the parapet were very similar to those at Chesters, and they may have been built at the same time by the same masons or architect. No evidence for a pre- mid-Antonine river crossing was discovered. A mortared wall previously identified as late-Roman on the south side of the river, now seems to be post-medieval strengthening of the river bank rather than a secondary ramp. The bridge was probably built following the re-routing of the Stanegate to the north when its original line along the bank to the north end of the river bridge was destroyed by flooding, indicating resources were still being expended in keeping the main routes open in the last quarter of the fourth century. A horizontal-wheeled watermill of Anglo-Saxon date extensively reused stone blocks from the bridge in its construction, and lies on the north side of the river, downstream from the north abutment. |
More information : [Name centred NY 97951 64546] Roman Bridge [G.S.] (Site of) (1)
The remains of the Roman bridge that carried Dere Street over the
Tyne are still to be seen in the bed of the river. Excavations were
carried out in 1906.
The foundations of the southern abutment consist of a parallelogram
of large stones embedded in the gravel which forms the river bed,
its dimensions being 39'6" on the river face by 22'0". The S.E.
corner just cuts the present south bank of the river and at this
point three courses of masonry are visible. The S.W. corner is about
30 ft. from the bank into the river. Some masonry representing the
site of the north abutment is situated in the bank just below the
hedge of the "turnip field".
Between the abutments it is conjectured that there were ten piers.
Traces of the five most southerly were found, the sixth must be in
the river bed and covered with gravel. The remaining four would be
buried in the plantation on the north bank of the river, near the
mouth of the burn. The piers were 15'4" wide and about 29'0" long
including the pointed nose of the western upstream end. The waterway
between the piers was about 22'4".
The length of the bridge would be about 154 yards. The piers are
wide enough to carry a road 20'0" wide.
Although there is much debris from the bridge in the river no traces
of arch stones have been found. (2)
The bridge was noticed by Leland in 1540. In 1840 many of the stones
were removed by the agent of the Greenwich Hospital Estate to build
a water wheel at Dilston Mill. The foundations of the south abutment
and of two piers are visible in dry weather.
The stones of the piers and abutments appear to have been tied by
iron and lead cramps. (3)
NY 97956457 The remains of the south abutment of the bridge
consisting of two large blocks of stone, standing on rectangular
flat dressed stones and submerged in the river approx. 2.0m below
the present level of the river bank. The large blocks show no form
of cramping or mortaring, a portion of a dressed slab may also be
seen in a sand cutting in the bank to the south of the
abutment.
Adjacent to the abutment and scattered in the river are many dressed
stones.
No surface remains were found of the north abutment, and - despite
the present low water level (June 1956) - no traces were visible of
the interval piers. See Illustrations Card. (4)
The river bank has fallen over the slabs forming part of the
abutment of the Bridge, and only a small protruding portion of two
of them can now be seen - not surveyable. (5)
Correctly described above. (6)
The site of the Roman bridge (south abutment) across the River Tyne south of Corbridge. The threat of erosion led to a joint project between Tyne and Wear Museums and English Heritage, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, to record, dismantle, and reassemble the remains of the bridge. The road ramp was excavated in 2004 and over 300 blocks were reassembled a short distance from the current river bank. The Roman bridge consisted of as many as 11 stone arches, standing to a possible 9 metres above the river. The ramp was built to take Dere Street across the bridge by a gentle gradient. The road approached the bridge at right angles from the east. The north side of the ramp was formed by a massive wall along the river bank made of stone blocks (an example of opus quadratum ¿ a Roman technique of fitting blocks together with very narrow joints and no mortar). The road ramp had been rebuilt during the Roman period, probably following a flood. The blocks were all reused in the revetting wall. The details of the parapet were very similar to those at Chesters, and they may have been built at the same time by the same masons or architect. No evidence for a pre- mid-Antonine river crossing was discovered. A mortared wall previously identified as late-Roman on the south side of the river, now seems to be post-medieval strengthening of the river bank rather than a secondary ramp. The bridge was probably built following the re-routing of the Stanegate to the north when its original line along the bank to the north end of the river bridge was destroyed by flooding, indicating resources were still being expended in keeping the main routes open in the last quarter of the fourth century. A horizontal-wheeled watermill of Anglo-Saxon date extensively reused stone blocks from the bridge in its construction, and lies on the north side of the river, downstream from the north abutment. (7)
Located on the English Heritage map of Hadrian's Wall 2010. (8) |