Segedunum Roman Fort

Segednum Roman Fort

Segednum Roman Fort is at the eastern end of Hadrian’s Wall in Wallsend, south of the High Street partially in Swan Hunter shipbuilding yard by the Tyne

In spite of the site being built over in the 19th century, there is a lot a see including a viewing tower, museum and reconstructions of the bathhouse modelled from the ruins at Chester, and the narrow wall used for the extension to Wallsend. The wall extends from the fort to below the low water point into the Tyne.

Segedunium Roman Fort plan

About Segedunum Roman Fort

The Wall to Newcastle was not part of the original plan. It was added later. The wall is of the narrow gauge (about 7.5 feet wide) as seen in the central and western parts of the wall. Wallsend Roman Fort is integrated with the wall suggesting that they were built at the same time, about AD 127. The fort projects north of the Wall and in the south east a spur from the south east corner of the fort takes the Wall into the Tyne.

WALLSEND-MODEL-ROMAN-FORT

The above shows the fort as it was in the late second century, the outer walls did not change.

The fort measured about 450ft by 390ft much of the fort was built over during the centuries, therefore, only some of the outlines are visible. It consisted of 4.1 acres. The fort was garrisoned by a mixed unit of 480 infantry with barracks on the north side of the fort (see the top of the diagrams), 120 cavalry garrisoned in the south of the fort.

In the centre of the fort (from left to right) the water tank, the Granary, the Firehall, the HQ building and Co.’s house. The original garrison is unknown, but the garrison in the third and fourth centuries was the fourth cohort of Lingones raised in the province Of Germania Superior

VIEWING TOWER

SITE-FROM TOWER

The tower is 35m high and gives impressive views of the site although the view of the tower is less impressive. It was designed to evoke the architectural and engineering of the shipyards.
The fort was one of the few not abandoned during the brief occupation of the Antonine Wall from about 140AD.
The picture on the right shows the site, and you can see where the road slices through what were the infantry barracks. The left hand picture looks up the river over the reconstructed bathhouse. Under the tower is the café. The site was completely covered by houses in 1880; so that all that is left is the foundations.

Surprisingly it is one of the most excavated sites on the Wall. The site is just west of the Swan Hunter shipyard and you can see a dock in the right hand picture. This was formally Britain’s largest shipbuilder and the site was used to house the workforce.

Segedunum Roman-Fort. 2nd century

The fort had 4 double gates and a fifth minor gate by which the Military Road entered the fort. In the late third century, the inside of the fort was re-modelled and all the barracks were demolished and replaced by barracks with far more space per trooper, as the manning of the fort was significantly reduced. This is process occurred right along the Wall, the basic design was left in tacked with barracks in the north and south of the fort and the headquarters building, commander’s house, granary and hospital remained in the centre.

THE BATHHOUSE RECONSTRUCTION

Wallsend-bath-house

The reconstructed Bath House has been built south and west of the fort, fortunately, it has now been maintained up to Roman standards, and it gives a vivid impression of what it was like and with a high level of sophistication. It is roughly based on a mirror image of the baths at Chesters (see Chesters Guide), every fort on the Wall had a similar facility.

WALLSEND BATHHOUSE PLAN

The size impresses the visitor. The interior was covered to be renovated but was never reopened. You enter the Bath House via the large changing room, which could be used as a gym or meeting room. There are alcoves on the left acting as lockers, and off to the right is a door leading to the communal lavatory. Behind the wall on the left is the furnace and a second one at the far side of the building, these provide the hot water and underfloor central heating and hot air channels up the Walls

Further into the buildings, there is a series of hot, warm and cold rooms. There is a cold and warm plunge, and a fountain all beautifully decorated. These interior rooms have decorations based and baths, which have survived throughout the Empire.

WALLSEND BATHS CHANGING ROOM

You can see from its size that it could be used for multiple activities, but it did not cater for different sexes The Baths would have been located outside the fort, and it is thought that mixed bathing was unlikely, therefore bathing had to be scheduled.

The above picture ( bottom left) shows how the heating system worked, with raised floors for the hot air to circulate and channels in the walls to further heat the room.

RECONSTRUCTION OF HADRIAN’S WALL

WALLSEND WALL-RECONSTRUCTION-

This is located immediately south of the fort and was opened in 1997. It represents a section of the narrow wall which existed between Wallsend and Newcastle.

It was 7.25ft wide and inside considered of a rubble core faced with lime mortar. We do not know its height and how the top was finished. Guesses range from 10ft to 15ft, with a walkway and a parapet. The reconstruction is just over 11ft to the walkway, with the parapet increasing the apparent height.to 15ft
The base was a little wider than the wall and was constructed of clay and cobbles. Overall the standard of construction was not good and within a hundred years of construction, major repairs were necessary. Perhaps this reconstruction is too well built.

EXTRAMURAL SETTLEMENT

A very extensive civil settlement existed within the angle between the Wall and fort stretching nearly half a mile westward along the Military Way. Traces of two or three streets have been noted and there is evidence of industrial activity, including a probable potter’s kiln. The area is now completely built up. Excavations at Camp Road uncovered buildings dated to the 3rd century AD, and further investigations in 1997-8 identified areas of the vicus to the south and west of the fort.

The settlement was enclosed partly or wholly by the third century AD by a system of defensive ditches and banks. These were recorded 200ft west of the fort, running south from Hadrian’s Wall, and presumed to turn to front the River Tyne 250ft south, where a section of defences was found in the Swan Hunter Yard in 2001. The settlement and defences had passed out of use by the late third century. Subsequently, a fourth century market area may have been established, and street surfaces from this date also survive.

NEW ARCHAEOLOGY

Wallsend Original Roman Baths

In 2014 the original Bath House for the fort was found south west under what was the Ship in Hole Inn, which was demolished in 2011. The Bath House was built in the 120s and was designed similar to the reconstruction highlighted above and the Baths at Chester. The excavations will continue in 2015. Initial impressions are that the remains are well preserved.

Tynedale Hadrian's Wall Group

Guides to Hadrian’s Wall and the Northern Frontier of Roman Britain