Newbrough Roman Fort

The Roman name is unknown, on the Stanegate, surprisingly built in the 4th century. One would have expected it to be built in the early 2nd century.

LOCATION

NEWBROUGH-ROMAN-FORT-SITE

Newbrough Roman Fort site is In the graveyard of St Peter’s, west of the village of Newbrough (NE47 5AU) the remains of what appears a 4^th century small fort. It is on Stanegate built 250 years earlier’

The fort is about 7 miles from Corbridge and 6.5 miles from Vindolanda.

Description

Newbrough Roman Fort was 195ft north south and190ft east west. This is about 0.75 acres sufficient to house 2 centuries say 160 infantry. The stone walls were surrounded by a ditch 15ft wide and 5ft deep, 16ft from the walls which were 4ft wide. It was identified as the 4^th century by coins, pottery and construction. Why it was built here close to Hadrian’s Wall is a mystery. It has only been excavated once in 1930.

At the beginning of the 2^nd century, the Stanegate had become the defacto frontier just before Hadrian’s Wall was built.

The location indicates that were should have been an earlier fort here at the beginning of the 2^nd century, but nothing was found at that time.