Piercebridge Roman Bridge

Piercebridge Roman Bridge
Piercebridge Roman Bridge
Piercebridge Roman Bridge is located in North Yorkshire
Piercebridge Roman Bridge
Location in North Yorkshire
54°32′10″N 1°40′16″W / 54.536°N 1.671°W / 54.536; -1.671
LocationCliffe, North Yorkshire, England
NZ213156

Piercebridge Roman Bridge is the ruin of a Roman bridge over the River Tees, northern England. It is near the villages of Cliffe (North Yorkshire) and Piercebridge, County Durham.

The most recent excavations were by Channel 4's Time Team in 2009.[1]

History

The bridge carried the Roman road Dere Street across the river.[2] Piercebridge Roman Fort guarded the bridge.[3] The first bridge was built around 90 AD, but this may have been replaced by a second bridge after it was washed away.[citation needed]

Over the centuries since then, the Tees has narrowed and changed its course. As a result 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.[4][5]

Remains

What remains of the bridge are massive masonry blocks that formed at least five piers.[3] 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.[6] All of the timber has disappeared in the nearly 16 centuries since the end of the Roman occupation.[7] The remains were discovered in 1972 during gravel quarrying.[4] 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.[8][9] Artefacts from the excavation of the bridge and fort can be seen in the Bowes Museum in Barnard Castle.[2][10]

Alternative interpretation

Whilst the majority opinion among archaeologists is that the structure is a bridge, an alternative interpretation has been proposed by archaeologist Raymond Selkirk, who contends that the structure is a navigation dam with an overspill channel. From this, and other evidence he argues that the Romans made far greater use of river transport than is generally recognised. His views are set out in his books The Piercebridge Formula (1983), On the Trail of the Legions (1995) and Chester-le-Street & Its Place in History (2000).[11][12]

See also

Wikimedia Commons logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Piercebridge Roman Bridge.

References

  1. ^ Report of excavations https://www.wessexarch.co.uk/our-work/piercebridge-county-durham
  2. ^ a b "Piercebridge Roman Fort". Head of Steam. Archived from the original on 16 July 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Piercebridge Roman Bridge, Piercebridge, North Yorkshire". Historic England. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Piercebridge Roman Bridge". Enjoy Darlington. Retrieved 18 March 2020.[dead link]
  5. ^ "Piercebridge Roman Bridge". Virtual Globetrotting. Archived from the original on 31 December 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  6. ^ Historic England. "Pierecebridge Roman Bridge (23766)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  7. ^ "Piercebridge Roman Fort". Yorkshire Guide. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  8. ^ "Description of Piercebridge Roman Bridge". English Heritage. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  9. ^ "History of Pierecebridge Roman Bridge". English Heritage. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  10. ^ "Piercebridge Roman Fort". This is Darlington. Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  11. ^ Selkirk, Raymond (2000). Chester-le-Street & Its Place in History. Birtley, County Durham: Casdec Print & Design Centre. pp. 93–122. ISBN 1-900456-05-2.
  12. ^ "Piercebridge Roman Fort, Vicus and Riverworkings". Brigantes Nation. Archived from the original on 25 January 2003. Retrieved 18 March 2020.

Content Disclaimer

Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.

  1. The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
  2. There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
  3. It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
  4. Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
  5. Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.