Benwell Roman Fort
Benwell Roman Fort is situated on a level hilltop in western Newcastle was a Roman Cavalry fort with a garrison of about 500 men. It is unusually only 2.5 miles west of the fort at Newcastle (which was built decades later) and about 7 miles east of Rudchester. It is bisected by the West Road, which largely follows the line of the Wall. Any ruins north of the Wall were destroyed by a reservoir in the 19th century. The south part of the fort, although partially excavated, was built over in the 1920s/30s with no visible sign of the fort today.
The best estimate indicated the fort covered about 5.5 acres, 550ft by 400ft east-west with 2 ditches east and west and one south. Water was probably piped from north of the fort into settling tanks in the HQ building courtyard. Besides the HQ building the commander’s house, a double granary, a hospital and a workshop have been identified. It was possibly the first fort built about 124AD, but only became fully a cavalry fort in about 180AD.
In the 2nd century, the fort was garrisoned by the 1st cohort of Vangiones, while in the 3rd and 4th centuries, it was the 1st Cavalry Regiment of Asturians. This is one of four cavalry regiments on the Wall.
The Vallum Crossing
When the Vallum was built shortly after 130AD, it could only be crossed at the forts, where a causeway and a gate, limited access between the Wall and Vallum, indicating the possibility of attack from the south. At Benwell, the gate was about 100ft south of the fort’s southern gate. The Vallum goes around the fort as illustrated in the diagram above.
At Benwell on Denhill Park south of West Rd there was a monumental non-military gateway with some of the best dressed stone on the Wall with a larger entrance than the fort gates. The Vallum was a ditch south of the Wall 20ft wide and 10ft deep with the spoil placed in a mound on either side of the ditch. It could close behind the Wall or up to half a mile behind the Wall.
The road through the gate was well constructed and resurfaced 6 times over its 250 years of use, although in later periods the Vallum had been filled in.
Extra Mural Settlement
Until very recently the only building identified outside the Vallum was a large house, possibly an inn just south and east of the Vallum Crossing. In the summer of 2017 about 100 yds., further to the south east in Dorcas Ave on a building site, Roman stone walls were found. At the time of writing, investigations were at an early stage, but indicate that civilian settlement was extensive, and totally unknown before these excavations.
Antenociticus’ Temple
The temple is located on Broomridge Rd, close to the south west corner of the fort within the Vallum. The temple is dedicated to a Celtic British god called Antenociticus and has only been identified from this site
In the building were found the remains of life-size statue of the god and three altars. Of the cult statue only the head, part of an arm and leg remain. The remains of the statue and the alters can be found in the Hancock Museum. The head has curling hair and possibly horns.
One of the three altars is dedicated to a man called Tineius Longus, who climbed his way up the Roman social scale and was appointed to the aristocracy and gave his thanks to Antenociticus.
The inscription reads:
To the god Antenociticus Tineius Longus (set this up) having, while prefect of cavalry, been adorned with the (senatorial) broad stripe and designated quaestor by the decrees of our best and greatest Emperors, under Ulpius Marcellus, consular governor.
The temple was built in 180AD, it was 23ft long and 16ft wide with semi-circular apse 6ft long and 5ft wide, where the statue was located.
It appears to have been burnt down 16 years later