More information : (NY 88828620) Bridge (GS) (Site of) Excavated AD 1840 (1)
"The bottom of the Rede where Watling Street runs up to it is paved
across with stones of about two feet cube, which have dove tail holes
in their upper surface. Other stones on the river edge, supposed to
be those of a land breast of a bridge, have a hole in the middle of
their upper and under surfaces, nearly 3" square". It is said that
pins of black oak had been found in these holes.
A few years ago (c 1820) the Rede tore away part of a meadow on its
north side, exposing two round pillars standing upright, about 12
feet apart, apparently on each side of the road where the (north?)
end of the old bridge might have been. One of the pillars is now used
as a gatepost to the garden of the inn at West Woodburn and the other
at the Wood House, a quarter of a mile north of that village. (2)
The middle piers of the bridge were visible about four years ago
(c 1821) but the stones have been removed and used for embanking the
river. (3)
A roughly circular stone column used as a gate post to a garden,
opposite the Bellingham road and in West Woodburn. It is sunk into
the ground and has a circumference of 3' 7 1/2", with a height above
ground level of 3' 8". About halfway up is a cylindrical hole 3 1/2"
deep, with a diameter of 3". The stone is weathered on top.
Another stone column is used as a support for a cart shed at High
Leam farm. It stands 6' 1" above ground level with a circumference
of 5'2" at the top and 4' 11" at the bottom.
Both of these stones are said to have been taken from the Roman
bridge which carried Dere Street across the River Rede. (4)
NY 88848621. There is no trace of the bridge in the indicated OS
position. A little to the east the south side of the small stream
that runs into the Rede has been strengthened by a retaining wall of
stones, one of which bears Roman broaching. In the bed of the stream
at this point there are four large roughly dressed stones with sides
of from 0.4m to 0.6m. Two of these stones, one of which is almost
covered by the retaining wall, have dowel holes of dovetails shape
in their ends. The position of the stones, with two dowal holes
almost corresponding indicates that they are still in situ.
From the description in (2) there seems no doubt that these stones
are the remains of the Roman bridge. Their alignment indicates that
they form part of the west end of an angled south abutment or the NW
side of the cutwater of a central pier.
The pillar (from the Roman bridge) at West Woodburn stands in the
garden immediately SE of the Bay Horse Inn. It has a diameter of
0.3m with 1.55m of its height above ground level.
The cylindrical recess is 0.5m below the top of the pillar
which is grooved by the weather. On the side oppposite the recess
are two modern gate hinge brackets, although the pillar is no longer
used as a gate post. The licencee of the Bay Horse stated that when
the pillar was removed to its present position the base was found to
be roughly square and not dressed.
The other pillar supports the roof of a shed immediately west of the
farmhouse at High Leam. It varies in diameter from 0.45m to 0.5m
with 1.8m of its height above ground level. This pillar is assumed
to be the same one referred to in (2) as being at Woodhouse.
Both pillars bear traces of tooling and although they have no
inscription have a marked resemblance to Roman milestones. (5)
Roman Bridge (6)
The slight remains of the bridge are as described by FI
One pillar is still standing in the garden of the Bay Horse Inn at
NY 89298683, while the other, now recumbent, lies in the small wood
immediately W of High Leam at NY 88028728. It has a total length of
2.4m and is roughly squared at one end for 0.4m. (7)
Two probable Roman milestones taken from the Roman bridge which
carried the Dere Street over the River Rede, one now at the Bay
Horse Inn, West Woodburn, the other formerly at High Leam now
erected close to the tumulus (NY 88 NE 9) beside the A68. (8)
The stone formerly at High Leam has now been erected at
NY 8887 8772, 9.0m N of the tumulus (NY 88 NE 9) and stands to a
height of 2.0m above ground level. A stone at the base of the pillar
bears the inscription "Roman Milestone Erected in 1971 by the
Redesdale Society". (9)
NY 8887 8772. Round cairn 580m N of Woodhouse. Scheduled RSM No
21037. A Roman milestone 2m high erected on the edge of the cairn is
included in the scheduling. It was moved to a local farm and
incorporated into a building and subsequently erected in its present
position in 1971. (10)
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