Birdoswald (Banna) - Hadrian's Wall - Fort

With its well-preserved defences, Birdoswald ** fort is the stand-out site on the western section of Hadrian's Wall. Recent excavations have shown how the fort and its associated civilian settlement evolved and grew during the Roman era, which saw the Wall itself develop from an early turf barrier to the now familiar stone structure. Evidence has also been found of the site's occupation after the end of Roman rule in Britain, casting light on how the former frontier moved into the 5th century. 

Birdoswald Fort - east gate

Background and Context

Even before the building of Hadrian's Wall started (around 122 CE), Birdoswald's strategic significance had been recognised by the Romans. The site occupies high ground to the north of the River Irthing, and is well-placed to command the river crossing - in common with many other fort sites in Roman Britain (see Binchester in County Durham or Brecon Y Gaer in South Wales). Remains have been found of a tower used for signalling to the Stanegate, the road from Carlisle to Corbridge marking the earlier frontier, which ran south of the river.

The Wall's construction wasn't a straightforward process, with plans changing as time went on. (Think of it as the HS2 of its day). Although it was mostly built in stone from the start, the section west of the River Irthing crossing (just east of Birdoswald) was initially a turf wall with a ditch on its northern side and a small timber turret (49a) where the fort sits now. This fitted in with the original scheme of small fortlets built at intervals of one (Roman) mile (milecastles) with two turrets sited in-between. We still use the numbering system introduced by early archaeologists: the turret at Birdoswald was one of two between milecastle 49 at Harrow's Scar (still extant, and easily walkable from the fort - see later).

Around 125 CE the decision was taken to build forts on the Wall itself, no doubt to the consternation of the troops where previously-built stone turrets had to be demolished (as at Housesteads). The first fort at Birdoswald was built from turf and timber, although its exact dimensions aren't known. After 130 CE this was replaced by a stone fort on the footprint that now see. Initially, part of the fort protruded north of the Turf Wall. However, when this was rebuilt in stone around 138 CE its line was moved north to link with the fort's northern defences - so the entire fort finished up to the south of the Wall. The area around Birdoswald is is the only part of Hadrian's Wall where the stone wall followed a different line to its turf predecessor (again, see later).

Hadrian's Wall east of Birdoswald fort

Activity at Birdoswald seems to have picked up in the early 3rd century CE. Rebuilding took place and an inscription records that the fort was garrisoned by an infantry regiment from Dacia (now Romania).  At the same time, a substantial civil settlement (vicus) grew up on both east and west sides of the fort. Birdoswald's north gate marked the start of a Roman road heading north to an outpost fort at Bewcastle -  which still has an outpost feel if you take a drive up there. Excavations at Birdoswald have found traces of buildings, possibly civilian, outside the fort's north wall (and therefore Hadrian's Wall) suggesting that this boundary was not as absolute as often thought. A better model for the Wall might be that of a frontier zone, rather than a finite edge to the Roman world.

Excavations have also shed some light on the shadowy period after the end of formal Roman rule in Britain (around 410 CE). Some Roman sites, such as Wroxeter town and Chedworth villa, show signs of occupation well into the 5th century, and the same goes for Birdoswald. Traces of timber buildings, not unlike the warrior halls of what we used to call the Dark Ages, have been found in the vicinity of the fort's granaries. With no obvious break in the site's occupation, this looks like a direct successor to the Roman fort, probably benefitting from its surviving defences. 

Although some troops were moved from Britain in the late 4th and early 5th centuries CE to support various (unsuccessful) challengers to the Imperial throne, it is likely that many units guarding Hadrian's Wall remained in place. There had been an earlier reorganisation of Roman forces under Constantine the Great (306-337 CE), separating border forces (limitanei) from mobile regiments (comitatenses). Soldiers were now recruited locally, with sons forced to follow their father into military service. So when Britain ceased to be part of the Empire, it is probable that the garrisons of the forts on Hadrian's Wall simply had nowhere else to go.

Birdoswald fort was eventually abandoned, but the site was reoccupied in the 11th century when a tower house and then a bastle-house (a defended farmhouse) were built here. Their foundations can still be seen. A farm was established in later years, which lasted until the 1980s (and was still active when I first visited the site); the farmyard buildings now contain the fort's visitor centre, shop and cafe.

Location and Access

Birdoswald fort (Google Maps location here) lies on a minor road south of the B6318, some 3km west of the village of Gilsland, which is the easiest approach from the east. From the west the site is reached along minor roads from Brampton, past Lanercost Priory - which is also worth a visit and contains much recycled Roman masonry. This route also takes you past several sections of Hadrian's Wall, including Piper Sike turret (below). Both approaches to Birdoswald are signed.

Hadrian's Wall west of Birdoswald fort - Piper Sike Turret (51b)

Birdoswald is also served by a bus service (the HW1) running from Carlisle to the Roman Army Museum at Carvoran. Visitors using the bus currently get a discount on the walk-up admission charge.  The Hadrian's Wall long distance footpath runs past the site.

The fort, which has a visitor centre, shop, café and toilets, is managed by English Heritage. Prices, opening times and other details are here. There is a payable car park some 200 metres away (free for English Heritage members), with disabled parking nearer to the site. There are useful information boards dotted around the site.

Date of Visit

The photographs in this post are mostly from 2026. Access information is correct as of that date.

A Tour of Birdoswald Fort

The path from the car park leads up to Hadrian's Wall, which can be seen stretching away to east towards Harrow's Scar milecastle (see earlier photo). As you turn right to approach Birdoswald fort, the line of the Wall lies under the modern road. Look left and you can see the east fort wall running under the trees with an interval tower beyond (below)

Birdoswald fort - east wall looking south

 

Birdoswald fort - interval tower in east wall

Straight ahead (just past the modern site entrance) the fort's north-western corner (with angle tower) can be seen between the road and the former farm buildings (below).

Birdoswald fort - north-western corner and angle tower

The main entrance to the fort is through the old farmyard. On leaving the visitor centre and ticket office you emerge opposite the site of the 5th century hall, its post holes marked by modern timbers (below).

Birdoswald fort - modern posts marking the site of the 5th century wooden hall

Behind this lie the foundations of granaries (horrea) from the early 3rd century (below). The south granary (on the right in the photo below) had its floor raised in the mid 4th century - for purposes unknown - with the usual underfloor ventilation space being filled in.

 

Birdoswald fort - granaries

It's now time to look at the fort's defences, the nearest of which are the remains of the main west gate (below).

Birdoswald fort - main west gate

The west gate would have had two arches, the southern-most of which was blocked up in the middle of the 3rd century (below). The old Turf Wall would have joined the fort just to the south of the main west and east gates, so these would originally have accessed land on the north side of the Wall. Subsidiary gates in the east and west walls would have accessed land to the south, although their necessity would have ceased when the Wall was realigned (and rebuilt in stone) to link with the fort's north wall.

Birdoswald fort - main west gate showing the blocked southern archway.

From here it is possible to follow the fort walls in an anticlockwise direction (the only missing section is the north wall). First you come to the subsidiary west gate (below), which only had a single opening.

Birdoswald fort - subsidiary west gate.

Follow the defences up the slope to the fort's south-west corner, which is a good viewpoint over the site as a whole (below). The foundations of the medieval tower and bastle-house lie in front of the (later) tower-like farmhouse.

Birdoswald fort - view north from the fort's south-west corner

Carrying on around the circuit we reach the south gate (below), which was built with the same pattern as the main west gate.

Birdoswald fort - south gate

Continuing past the fort's south-east corner, where the angle tower is visible, the east wall comes into view (below). 

Birdoswald fort - east wall looking north

The main east gate (below) is the best preserved of the fort's entrances. A number of detailed features remain, including the base arch-stone on the north-eastern pier and the original stone thresholds with pivot holes for the wooden gates. Like the west gate, one of the archways was later blocked with a stone wall. The adjacent guard chambers are also well-preserved.

Birdoswald fort - east gate

Birdoswald fort - east gate - pivot hole in threshold

Birdoswald fort - east gate - southern guard chamber

From the east gate a path leads back to the visitor centre. This contains a small exhibition and a number of finds, the most significant of which is the Altar to Silvanus (below). Although the subject, a hunting deity, is not unusual (it appears at many sites in Roman Britain such as Chedworth villa), what makes the inscription important is that it includes Birdoswald's Roman name (Banna). When I first visited here, the site was known as Camboglanna, but this name has now been reassigned to the next fort to the west (Castlesteads). See Breeze and Dobson for more on the naming of the Wall forts (plot spoiler: it's not straightforward). The text of the inscription (with translation) is at the end of this post.

Birdoswald - altar to Silvanus, containing the fort's name (BANNA)

That concludes our tour of Birdoswald. After visiting the fort, you can walk eastwards along the line of the Wall to Harrow's Scar milecastle. Although this is poorly preserved, the path continues down the slope and across the River Irthing (footbridge) where it is possible to visit the eastern abutment of the bridge that carried the Wall across the river - plus an adjoining turret.

Alternatively, a drive along the road to the west of Birdoswald follows the line of the Wall's last substantial section in the west. This includes four turrets - 49b, 51a (Piper Sike - pictured earlier), 51b (Leahill) and 52a (Banks East, where there is a small car park), as well as the earlier Pike Hill signal tower. 

Hadrian's Wall west of Birdoswald - Banks East turret (51b)

Several lengths of the Vallum (a ditch flanked by two turf embankments that ran south of the Wall along its full length) can also be seen from this route. At High House (below) (here) the Vallum is joined by the line of the original Turf Wall - the only place where remains of the Turf Wall are still visible (on the left - east - of the farm track). However, it is not easily made out (being a low mound around 0.4 metres high) and can be confused with the nearby earthworks of the Vallum.

High House - the Vallum looking west

High House - Turf Wall remnant (under the sheep)

 

Full Text and Translation of the Banna Inscription

(RIB1905)

DEO SANCTO

SILVANO VE-

NATORES

BANNIESS

Translation:

To the holy god Silvanus the hunters of Banna (set this up).

Further Reading

Biggins, J. Alan, Taylor, David J. A, Coxon, B., Esselmont, B., Frank, A., Hudson, C., McCloy, P., Montgomery, E. and Robinson, J. (1999) 'A survey of the Roman fort and settlement at Birdoswald, Cumbria.' Britannia 30, pp. 91-110. - link

Biggins, J. Alan, & Taylor, David J. A. (2004). 'Geophysical survey of the vicus at Birdoswald Roman fort, Cumbria.' Britannia, 35 pp. 159-178. - link

Breeze, David J. & Dobson, B (2000) Hadrian's Wall. London: Penguin Books.

Wilmott, Tony (2012) Birdoswald Roman Fort. English Heritage guidebook.

Wilmott, Tony & Haynes, Ian (2024) 'The military town and bathhouse of Birdoswald Fort on 

Hadrian’s Wall.' Historic England Research 27 pp. 18-25

(See also the general References page of this blog).

Text and photographs (c) Mike Hetherington. Visits to sites described in this blog are at your own risk.

Roman Ostia - an overview

A place like Ostia **** shouldn't really exist. The town that was Rome's maritime gateway has managed to survive the centuries in a remarkable state of preservation. Boasting multi-level apartments, bath-houses, temples, markets and more mosaics that you can count, Ostia is one of most instructive Roman sites in Western Europe. And it's also one of the nicest to visit, with many quiet corners where you can have a whole street to yourself - a welcome contrast to the tourist mayhem of central Rome. (That's me in the photo below). 

You could easily spend a full day (or more) exploring Ostia. The site is simply too big for me to follow the format of other posts on this blog, so instead this is a more general overview - where it is, why it's there and why you should strongly consider visiting it (if you haven't already). Future posts will go into more detail including a series of walks around different parts of the site. That's the plan, anyway.

Date of Visit

The photographs in this post, as well as travel and access information, date from my visit in 2026.

A Brief Bit of Background

Ostia was the port of Rome, and its first colony. Although the River Tiber was navigable for smaller vessels as far up as the city itself, most sea-going traffic had to unload its cargo at the river-mouth - first on sandy riverbanks, then on quaysides and finally in a series of purpose-built harbours (Portus) a short distance up the coast. Trading activity and maritime businesses were the core of the Ostia's very being, as its surviving monuments bear witness: it is a place of warehouses (below), marketplaces, fishmongers and shipbuilders. But at the same time the needs of a normal Roman town had to be met. We see bakeries, shops, bars, laundries, bath-houses (quite a lot of bath-houses, in fact), temples, tombs and a brilliant set of latrines.

Ostia - entrance to the warehouse of Epagathus and Epaphroditus

Ostia's story starts as far back at the 4th century BCE, when the Romans built a fort to control the mouth of the Tiber. Known as the castrum, this sat squarely over what later became the town's forum. Only a few fragments now remain.

From these modest beginnings the town expanded, with a warehouse quarter developing between its main east-west road (the Decumanus Maximus) and the river. Public buildings were added, including a number of temples, along with more houses. By the middle of the 1st century BCE the town was so large that new walls were erected with three main gates: the Porta Romana on the main road from the capital (now the main entry for modern visitors), the Porta Marina leading to the sea and the Porta Laurentina from where a road headed south along the coast. The resulting layout (below) remained broadly unchanged through the remainder of the town's existence - and we can walk most of these streets today.

Ostia street plan (from Meiggs, 1973)

The aerial image below shows the site at a slightly different angle to the plan above. It's worth noting that the Tiber has changed its course since Ostia was founded: instead of the sharp turn to the north that we now see, its course in Roman times ran along the entire north-western edge of the town (see the top of the plan above). The coastline here has also changed: the main road in the bottom left corner of the image below follows the line of the old Roman shore. Modern Ostia grew up on this new land - a major reason why the old town remained preserved. 

Ostia Antica - aerial view 2026 (c) Google Maps

While the Tiber was the source of Ostia's prosperity, it also presented problems. Silt carried down the river caused sand bars to build up, impeding the passage of larger ships, while its narrow width (around 100 metres) made it difficult for larger ships to manoeuvre in the port. As Rome passed from Republic to Empire the problems of Ostia's port facilities were being considered at the highest level.

According to Plutarch (Caesar 58:10), Julius Caesar planned to build breakwaters and dredge the river before his schemes, and indeed life, ended abruptly on the Ides of March. It was Claudius (41-54 CE) who finally took action, ordering the construction of a new harbour (Portus) a few kilometres north of the river mouth. A canal was cut to link the new harbour directly to the Tiber.

These works weren't entirely successful, and the new harbour proved unable to prevent the loss of shipping in a storm of 62 CE. Under Trajan (98-117 CE) a further harbour was built between Claudius's harbour and the river. Its extraordinary hexagonal shape is still visible today: look out for it when taking off from or landing at nearby Fiumicino airport. 

Even though the new harbours were a short distance from Ostia - and on the wrong side of the river - their construction didn't dent the town's prosperity. On the contrary, its economy boomed. Major building projects were initiated, with various emperors taking a personal interest in adding to the town's facilities. Under Domitian (81-96 CE) the overall building level was raised by a metre, partly to reduce the risk of flooding but also to provide firmer foundations for future construction projects. 

Ostia - Baths of Neptune

Hadrian's reign (117-138 CE) saw the erection of the Baths of Neptune (above), Ostia's largest public baths, on the top of an earlier structure. Many of its striking black and white mosaics still survive, most with a suitably maritime theme. Ostia's central temple, the Capitolium (below), dedicated to Jupiter, Juno and Minerva (as was usual in Roman towns), also dates from around this time, as do many of the residential blocks (insulae) that we'll meet shortly.

Ostia - the central Capitolium facing the Forum

Imperial patronage continued, with Commodus (sole emperor from 180-192 CE) extending the town's theatre so that it could hold up to 4,000 spectators. This has now been restored to host modern day events. The 3rd century saw the building of several grand residential properties, sometimes converted and repurposed from earlier structures. A good example is the House of Cupid and Psyche (below), with ostentatious decoration and flooring.

Ostia - House of Cupid and Psyche - opus sectile flooring

Eventually Ostia's fortunes began to wane. During the 4th century activity moved north to Portus as silting continued to block the river and by the 5th century new building had stopped in the town. Existing structures remained in use, however, and there is evidence that the Porta Marina baths were upgraded in post-Roman times (during the Ostrogothic rule of Theoderic 493-526 CE). But by the 9th century the town was completely abandoned, with settlement moving further inland away from the threat of pirate raids. The 15th century castle of Julius II, still visible (and visitable) a short distance east of the modern entrance to Roman Ostia, marks the site of the new settlement.  

Roman Ostia never vanished entirely from the record, although the surrounding malarial swamps probably discouraged visitors. The site was used as a source of stone: pieces of high quality marble mysteriously found their ways into the fabric of the cathedrals of Pisa and Florence, while other stone vanished into medieval lime kilns. Treasure-hunters searched for valuable inscriptions and sculptures. While some of the ruins had become buried under soil and river silt, it seems that others remained standing and visible. The site came under papal ownership and excavations began in the early 19th century, continuing in a more systematic way into the early 1900s. However, like many ancient sites in central Rome, it was the period of fascist rule under Mussolini that saw an acceleration of excavation and reconstruction. As elsewhere this was not always carried out sympathetically (for example see my post on Trajan's Markets). Investigation and research continues at the Ostia; more recent discoveries include the frescoes of the Insula of the Priestesses (below) in the 1970s. The site museum, which is highly recommended, reopened in 2024 after a major renovation; I'll deal with this in a later blog post.

Ostia - frescoes in the Insula of the Priestesses

Location, Access and Practicalities

Roman Ostia, known as Ostia Antica to distinguish it from the modern town on the coast, lies some 25 km south-west of the centre of Rome, a short 15 minute drive from Rome's Fiumicino airport. The main entrance, ticket office and car park (here) is accessed from the Viale de Romagnoli.

Getting there by public transport is straightforward: allow about an hour to reach the site from the centre of Rome. Trains to Ostia Antica depart variously from Piramide or Ostiense stations; we caught metro line B to EUR Magliana and changed trains there. This worked fine although Rome's metro can be notoriously over-crowded. The route is covered by the RomaPass ticket. You get off the train at Ostia Antica station, followed by 5-10 minute walk to the site entrance. Note that the walking route includes a footbridge with steps and no ramp: this would not be practicable for a wheelchair. (And, indeed, many of the streets within the site itself retain their uneven Roman paving.) 

Opening times (the site is closed on Mondays) are on the Ostia Antica Parco Archeologico website  where you can buy tickets in advance. We didn't bother: on our visit (during the Easter school holidays) the queue for tickets at the site entrance was short, in marked contrast to crowds of tourists around the Colosseum in central Rome. In any event, do try to get there early: there is a lot to see, and even in a full day you are unlikely to cover the entire site. In hot weather, exercise the usual precautions: fluids, sun screen and a hat. The good news is that there is a café (here) and toilets within the site. 

A Few (More) Ostia Highlights

As mentioned above, this blog post is only an introduction to this remarkable site. Some of Ostia's highlights have already been pictured above, but here's a quick run-through of a few more. For someone like me who was brought up visiting the sites of Roman Britain, this is heady stuff.

Despite all of Ostia's major public buildings, it is the multi-storey apartment blocks (insulae) and almost-intact street scenes that provide some of the most memorable images. In some of these buildings you can climb to the upper levels, while others contain intact wall paintings. Pictured below is one of the best preserved - the House of Diana, dating from the Antonine period (around 150 CE).

Ostia - House of Diana (on the left)

If you walk to the end of this street and turn right you will find one of Ostia's delights - a wine bar or thermopolium (below). You can imagine folk coming off the street to lean on its counter and pass the time of day. It has an almost modern feel.

Ostia - wine bar (thermopolium)

Also in this district is the Flour Mill of Silvanus (below) where flour was milled, and bread then baked in large ovens before being sold in a street-front shop.

Ostia - Flour Mill of Silvanus, showing millstones

Sticking to a commercial theme, one of Ostia's most extraordinary monuments is the Square of the Guilds (below). Although the remaining walls of these buildings are very much on a 'Roman Britain' scale, it is the floors that you need to look at. What we have here is an open square - originally colonnaded - containing the premises of Ostia's traders, merchants and shipowners. Each is marked by a unique black and white mosaic containing images that signalled their particular trading interest or destination. We see ships, rivers, lighthouses, dolphins and even a few elephants - advertising, Roman style.

Ostia - Square of the Guilds

Here are a couple of examples. First (below) is a mosaic advertising merchants trading with Sardinia. The text (NAVICVL[AE] ET NECOTIANTES KARALITANI) translates as 'Shipowners and merchants from Karalis' - which is modern-day Cagliari. The barrel-shaped object on the left represents a grain measure (modius).

Ostia - Square of the Guilds - grain ship (with grain measure) advertising merchants from Sardinia

This rather magnificent elephant (below) mosaic marked the office of merchants from North Africa. They may have traded ivory rather than live elephants, but we do know that many wild animals were shipped across the Mediterranean to 'perform' (and usually meet a grisly end) in Roman amphitheatres.

Ostia - Square of the Guilds - elephant mosaic

There are many more of these; a stroll around the square will take longer than you might expect.

At the southern end of the Square of the Guilds is Ostia's theatre (below). For me, it has been perhaps over-restored, but this does mean that it can still host events and it's always nice when ancient sites can be used for something approximating their original purpose (unless it's for beast hunts, gladiator fights, executions or similar). Access was restricted at the time of our visit for further works (out of picture). 

Ostia - theatre

Religion played a major role in Roman life and society, and Ostia is peppered with temples to an eclectic variety of deities. While the Capitolium (see earlier) represented an 'official' place of worship in the town centre, there were many alternatives including a synagogue and a few Christian structures from the later Roman period.

One of the earlier temples in the town, dating from the late Republican era (1st century BCE) is the Temple of Hercules (below).

Ostia - Temple of Hercules (1st century BCE)

There's not a lot of the building left, but it did provide a number of interesting finds including this marble relief (below), now in the Ostia Museum, showing Hercules in the centre. It was given by Caius Fulvius Salvis who was a haruspex - a soothsayer (or official entrail-inspector). The scenes, starting from the right, depict a statue of Hercules being rescued from the sea by fishermen, Hercules handing out lots (sors) - in effect, divine judgements - and people making an offering. 

Ostia Museum - relief from the Temple of Hercules

On a quite different scale, a number of Temples of Mithras are dotted around the town. Mithras was the mysterious eastern deity beloved of soldiers up on Hadrian's Wall, which seems a world away from the sunbaked streets of Ostia. Occupying rooms rather than whole buildings, these small temples seem to have been very private affairs. To some extent they still are, as many were closed or inaccessible on my visit. One that I was able to access (although it took a bit of finding) was the Mithraeum of Lucretius Menander (below), dating from the early 3rd century CE, which retains its mosaic floor and some wall plaster.

Ostia - Mithraeum of Lucretius Menander

Ostia's bath-houses provide some of the towns most striking ruins, partly because many contain excellent mosaics, but also because bath-houses generally seem to have been built robustly (think of the Baths of Caracalla in Rome, for example). We've already met the Baths of Neptune, but a few more are more than worth a mention. One of my favourites was the Baths of the Seven Sages (below).

Its extraordinary mosaic (detail below) dates from around 130-150 CE. In a departure from Ostia's generally maritime themes, this one features hunting images.

On the south-western edge of the town, in what would have originally been a coastal location (possibly even on the beach) are the Baths of the Porta Marina (below). It's a bit of a trek to get here - this is about as far from the site's main entrance as you can get, but it's worth it for both the substantial nature of the the ruins ...

Ostia - Baths of the Porta Marina

... as well as yet another fabulous (and famous) mosaic - the Mosaic of the Athletes (below). There's a lot of detail to unpick here, but it will have to wait for a more detailed blog.

Ostia - Porta Marina Baths - mosaic of the atheletes

I should also mention the Forum Baths back in the town centre (below) - another well-preserved structure albeit with fewer mosaics on display. Originally built around 160 CE, these were still being updated and added to until the late 4th century CE.

Ostia - Forum baths

Across the street from the Forum Baths lies one of Ostia's most famous sights - a marvellously well-preserved Roman latrine (forica). There were two entrances from the street, possibly using revolving doors.

Ostia - public latrine near the Forum Baths 

I've gone on longer than I intended - this was only meant to be a brief introduction - but Ostia is the sort of place that once you start exploring it's difficult to stop. The same applies when you're writing about it. So, with regret, I will leave it there for now. Watch this space for more in the future.

Further Reading

I'm unable to track down an easily available, comprehensive and up-to-date English language book about Ostia (surely a gap in the market?). However, the Ostia-Antica website provides a magnificent resource of articles, maps and photos (although some of the latter are a bit out of date) including an topographical directory with clickable plan that you can use to dive down into the detail of individual buildings and monuments. Links are provided to a number of references, as well as fascinating early footage from the site such as film taken from a zeppelin flyover in the 1920s. 

References that I have consulted include:

Gering, Axel (2012) 'Ruins, rubbish dumps and encroachment: resurveying late antique Ostia' Late Antique Archaeology 9(1), pp. 249-288. - link

Meiggs, Russell (1973) Roman Ostia. Oxford: Clarendon Press. Comprehensive, but dated.

Ostia Antica Parco Archeologico (2025) Guide to Ostia Antica. SAGEP Editori. The guide book bought at the site proved to be a useful companion.

Pavolini, Carlo (2016) 'A survey of excavations and studies on Ostia (2004–2014).' The Journal of Roman Studies 106, pp. 199-236. - link

See also the general References page of this blog.

Text and photographs (c) Mike Hetherington. Visits to sites described in this blog are at your own risk.

Piercebridge - Fort and Bridge

Built to control the River Tees crossing, the fort at Piercebridge ** in County Durham was a key strategic point on Dere Street, the Roman road linking York (Eboracum) with Hadrian's Wall. Some of the fort can be seen in the modern village, while the foundations of the bridge over the River Tees now sit in a field to the south of the river.

Piercebridge - bridge abutment, south of the River Tees

Location and Access

The village of Piercebridge (here) lies 7 miles (11 km) north of Scotch Corner, where the A66 leaves the A1(M). The approach from the south along the B6275 follows the dead-straight line of the Roman Dere Street, only turning west to descend to the modern Tees river crossing just south of the village. Parking (free) for the bridge abutment is on the north side of the road (here) just after the bend (there is a small signpost), before reaching the George Hotel. A well-surfaced path leads to the bridge abutment, but note that a stone stile must be crossed to reach it directly from the car park. (The alternative route is through a gate leading off the B6725, which is a longer way round - not ideal.)

Piercebridge - layout of fort and bridge (photo of on-site Durham County Council signage)

To reach the fort you need to cross the Tees using the bridge west of the George Hotel. Most of it lies buried under the modern village. The largest visible area sits behind houses on the east side of the village green (entry free of charge: no facilities on site apart from some signage). It is reached by a path (here) between two houses just south of the church; there is a small brown sign, but it's not obvious. There is limited roadside parking in the village, although (obviously) avoid the yellow-lined sections. 

Neither of the fort's other visible remains can be inspected close-up. You can just about see the north-east angle tower foundations from a footpath that runs along the east side of the excavated area: go through the wooden gate beyond the fort's east gate and turn left (north) along the footpath. Earthworks marking the fort's northern defences can be seen in the field south of the old A67; turn left at the T junction at the north end of the village, walk a short distance and look over the left hand hedge (but be careful as there is no footway).

There is a regular bus service to Piercebridge village from Darlington (from a bus stop by the Town Hall).  

Background and Context

Like Binchester (Vinovia), Piercebridge is one of a chain of forts established along the Dere Street, the main Roman road through north-east England, although unlike Binchester its Roman name is uncertain: Morbium has been suggested from the Notitia Dignitatum, but this is not certain. 

The crossing of the River Tees was an important point on the route north, and Piercebridge would always have been a key strategic location, especially as it lay close to the Iron Age oppidum of the Brigantes tribe at Stanwick. The earthwork defences of this local power centre are also worth a visit. 

A campaign in the north was mounted during the reign of Vespasian by governor Petillius Cerealis during 71-74 CE, and it seems almost certain that a fort would have been built here at that time to secure the river crossing. However, its location has yet to be found. The most likely place is on land to the east of the fort that we can now see (below), which probably dates from around 260 CE - much later than the other Dere Street strongholds. Like Binchester, this would have been occupied by auxiliary cavalry. At a later date a small civilian settlement (vicus) grew up outside the fort, although only cropmarks are now visible.

Piercebridge fort - commander's house looking north 

Two Roman bridges are known from Piercebridge - the existing remains are from a later structure built after the first timber bridge (near the present George Hotel) was wiped out by a flood after 150 CE. The bridges were investigated by Time Team in 2009; timber piles in the river bed from the first bridge were dated to the 1st century CE. 

Little is known of Piercebridge's post-Roman history, although the absence of '-chester' in the name of village (unlike the forts further north along Dere Street at Binchester, Lanchester and Ebchester) suggests that its Roman past was not well-known in Saxon times. Excavations have taken place sporadically since the 1930s, most notably on the eastern side of the fort in 1979-1981. 

Date of Visit

The photos in this blog post date from my visit in 2026.

The Bridge 

At first sight, the remains of the Roman bridge (below) are confusing. The absence of any obvious river doesn't help and the two metal information boards are now almost unreadable.

Piercebridge Roman Bridge - looking north. The present course of the River Tees lies just beyond the trees.

It makes more sense if you walk to the far (southern) end of the site (above). Here, we see the bridge's substantial southern abutment, which was made from large, dressed stones. This would have supported the wooden framework of the bridge itself; its angled posts would have been held by slots in the north side of the stonework (below).

Piercebridge Roman Bridge - slots in abutment to hold wooden supporting posts

A reconstruction drawing (on a sign by the car park) gives an idea of what the overall structure might have looked like:

Piercebridge - CGI impression of Roman bridge (my photo of on-site Durham County Council signage)

The bed of the river was paved with flagstones at this point, presumably to ease its flow beneath the structure. Several stone supports would have carried the bridge over the river, only one of which is visible (below), although other scattered blocks remain.

Piercebridge Roman Bridge - remains of bridge supports and river paving

The River Tees was probably more active in Roman days than it is now, and its course moved during the bridge's period of use. An embankment with stone revetment (visible on the eastern side) was built out from the southern abutment to link with the rest of the structure. Part of this is still visible. In time, the entire northern bridge abutment was lost, while the southern structures were covered by river silt until excavation in the 1970s.

 

The Fort

On entering the excavated area of the fort the (rather scanty) remains of the east gate lie in front of you (below) along with a section of the fort's eastern wall. The gate would have had two arches with guard rooms at either side, a pattern repeated at many Roman forts in Britain (see for example Brecon Y Gaer in Wales where the defences are better preserved than here at Piercebridge).

Piercebridge Roman Fort - east gate 

Outside the fort wall were defensive ditches (below), one of which contained an 'ankle-breaker' gully at the bottom, along with pits that may have held sharpened stakes.

Piercebridge Roman Fort - ditches by east gate

An unusual circular structure - presumably post-Roman - sits outside the east gate (below). I can't find any reference to its purpose; please let me know if you can shed any light on this.

Piercebridge Roman Fort - east gate (north side) in foreground, circular structure back right.

A road ran inside the east wall, the drainage ditch of which can still be seen. Next to this lie the remains of the east wing of a substantial courtyard dwelling, thought to be the commander's house (praetorium). The other three wings lie under the nearby modern houses and gardens, but enough is visible to give a sense of the scale of the dwelling. One of the rooms would have been heated by a channelled hypocaust (below). 

Piercebridge Roman Fort - channelled hypocaust in commander's house

If this was the commander's house then its siting within the fort was unusual; such buildings usually occupy a more central location. One idea is that its position near the east gate reflects the importance of the fort's main link to Dere Street which, unlike at Binchester, ran to the east of the fort rather than straight through the middle.  

That concludes this brief overview of the fort's main visible remains. As mentioned above (under 'Location and Access') you can just about see the north-east angle tower from the footpath alongside the nearby farmyard (below) ...

Piercebridge Roman Fort - north-east angle tower

... and earthworks marking the western side of the fort's northern defences are visible from the old A67 to the north (below). Both appear to be on private land with no public access.

 

Piercebridge Roman Fort - earthwork marking the northern fort defences

If you have access to a car, you may also want to consider visiting the fort at Binchester which is a 25 minute drive north along the B6275 and A688, which largely follow the line of Dere Street.

References

Fitzpatrick, A. P., and Peter R. Scott (1999) 'The Roman Bridge at Piercebridge, North Yorkshire–County Durham.' Britannia 30 (1999): 111-132.

Wessex Archaeology (2010) Piercebridge, County Durham. Archaeological Evaluation and Assessment of Results. Salisbury: Wessex Archaeology. - link

See also the general References page of this blog.

Text and photographs (c) Mike Hetherington. Visits to sites described in this blog are at your own risk.