Pons Aelius

Pons Aelius was a fort and Roman settlement at the original eastern end of Hadrian's Wall, at the site now occupied by The Castle, Newcastle. The Latin name means Aelian Bridge and can be traced back to when emperor Hadrian – whose family nomen (clan name) was Aelius – visited Britain in 122 and first saw the need for a frontier wall. The town's population is estimated to have been around 2,000. The fort is thought to have been 1.53 acre, small by Roman standards. As Pons Aelius was a wall fort it is very likely a military road led from it and followed the Wall, linking its forts and milecastles. The bridge and its fort were built at the north end of Cade's Road, which is speculated to have…