Segedunum Roman Fort
Baths and Museum (Wallsend)

View from Tower, the bathhouse is white building on left

If you look at the aerial photos on either Multimap  or Google  you will see the layout of this fort, now with a road running across a part of it. The piece that you pay to go in to is the larger piece, you also have a museum, a 35 metre high viewing tower where you can go to get an aerial view of the site and the reconstruction of a bathhouse. On the ground you see a plan, there is hardly any stonework. This is not the ideal site to go to expecting to be impressed by the roman remains but perhaps as a wider study of forts and their layout, plus the chance to see the reconstructed bathhouse. The bathhouse is opened up at set times, rather than being available all the time.

The Roman wall was originally to be built from a point at Pont Aelius at Newcastle upon Tyne, and to proceed west. It was later decided to extend it 4 miles to the east to Wallsend, 5 years later in about 127AD this was probably done so as to protect the river crossing at Pont Aelius.   The new section of wall was built in the narrow width used further west. A section of wall ran from the fort out into the river, which is tidal to at least the lowest tidal point. An extensive civilian community grew up around the fort, including unusually an area to the north of the wall.

It is not known who was first stationed at Segedunum, however we do know that in the second century the Second Cohort of Nervians was stationed there. In the third and fourth centuries the part-mounted Fourth Cohort of the Lingones occupied the fort, as recorded in the Notitia Dignitatum.  Both units were 600 strong, 120 cavalry and 480 infantry.

Within the Bathhouse

After around 400AD, the fort was abandoned and became farming country. In the 18th century coal mines were sunk in the area, and this became a pit village. In 1884 the whole fort was covered in terraced housing.

The Segedunum Project did not start until 1997, when there were a series of excavations around the fort, as well as the conversion of a former Swan Hunter shipyard building into a museum and the building of the Bathhouse. This site first opened to the public June 2000.  A large 35metre high observation tower has also been constructed to overlook the site.

The reconstructed section of wall that you can climb,
to the right at ground level the remains of the wall,
this is across the road and outside the attraction.

See the for more images.

Further information Grid   Location: Segedunum Roman Fort, Wallsend, Northumberland Ceremonial County: Northumberland Grid Reference: NZ301660 Map Link: Multimap Aerial photo: Multimap     Google  Route(s): Hadrian's Wall Route Guide Best Times to Visit: Any time E-mail: response form Website: own Other useful websites: Wikipedia   Geograph Nearby Locations:   Other Relevant pages: Roman Frontiers     Hadrian's Wall   Hadrian's Wall - Featured Places

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By:  Keith Park	Section: Roman	Key:
Page Ref: Roman_Fort_Wallsend	Topic: Roman Britain	Last Updated: 05/2010

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