Castrum Segedunum

The Roman wall originally terminated at the fort of Pons Aelius (Newcastle upon Tyne) begun in 122AD. Subsequently, in about 127AD, the wall was extended further east by , possibly to protect the river crossing at Pons Aelius, passing through present-day Byker to the new fort of Segedunum. The new section of wall was narrower than those previously built, being 7 ft wide on a foundation of 8 ft. Unlike the rest of the wall, the extension had no Vallum ditch and embankment on the south side. It was probably not needed here because its role was performed by the River Tyne. The fort of Segedunum measured 453 ft from north to south and 393 ft from east to west, covering an area of 4.1 acre. A…

The site of the fort now contains the excavated remains of the buildings' foundation of the original fort, as well as a reconstructed Roman military bathhouse based on excavated examples at Vindolanda and Chesters forts. A museum contains items of interest that were found when the site was excavated, and a large observation tower overlooks the site. A portion of the original wall is visible across the street from the museum, and a reconstruction of what the whole wall might have looked like. The central section of Hadrian's Wall was erected atop the Whin Sill, a geological formation that offers a natural topographic defence against invaders or immigrants from the north. However at the…