Piercebridge Roman Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Piercebridge Roman Bridge |
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Piercebridge Roman Bridge
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| Location | County Durham, England, UK |
| OS grid reference | NZ213156 |
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Piercebridge Roman Bridge is the ruin of a Roman bridge over the River Tees near the village of Piercebridge, County Durham, England.
The most recent excavations were by Channel 4's Time Team in 2009.
History
The bridge carried Dere Street Roman road across the river.
Piercebridge Roman Fort guarded the bridge.
The first bridge was built around 90 AD, but this may have been replaced by a second bridge after it was washed away. The Tees has narrowed and changed its course over the centuries and this may be the reason that the remains lie in a field around 90 metres (300 ft) south of the current course of the river, and about 450 metres (1,480 ft) east of Piercebridge.
Remains
What remains of the bridge are massive masonry blocks that formed at least five piers. The lower courses of one of the abutments still stand, partially complete, and it is possible to see the holes into which the wooden structure of the bridge would have fitted. All of the timber has disappeared in the nearly 16 centuries since the end of the Roman occupation. The remains were discovered in 1972 during gravel quarrying. The stone blocks are up to 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) long and the total bridge structure was 123 metres (404 ft) long. Artifacts from the excavation of the bridge and fort are held in the Bowes Museum.
See also
In Spanish: Puente romano de Piercebridge para niños
