More information : RR 809 Roman Road. Wrekendyke. Wrekenton - South Shields.
A branch road which led off from RR 80b at Wrekenton (NZ 271 584) to the important supply base and fort at South Shields (NY 36 NE 4). The road was laid upon a single alignment north-eastward until close to South Shields, where it turned more to the north to reach its destination. the course was apparently chosen to keep upon higher ground as far as possible.
Through Wrekenton it was formerly visible a little to the north of Ravensworth Avenue and just east of Long Bank it was examined and found to be 19 feet wide with a foundation layer of large stones and an upper layer of small sandstones, well cambered but heavily worn in the centre, and sandstone blocks as kerbs. The course of the road is then followed by the present road for nearly the whole distance, which is raised by 2-3 feet, although it first lies on the east side near North Leam Farm, and then upon the east.
It was examined again near to where the main Newcastle-Sunderland road and a railway both cross it; a bottoming of sanstone blocks with kerbs was found, 16 feet wide, with a clay layer above, capped by a well-cambered broken yellow sandstone. A new surface been laid later above this. A mile further on, Fell Gate Farm stands upon the road which is marked by hedges until the present road rejoins it just beyond. At Monkton the road curves northward, evidently to avoid two little denes, but at Primrose Hill the line is resumed until the town of South Shields. The road turned northward here, direct to the Roman fort and supply base. (1)
See Linear Archive File RR 809 for further details. (2)
No evidence of the road was seen on air photographs available to the Hadrian's Wall NMP project. The length of road from High Shields to the fort at South Shields is covered by housing. Just east of Wardley, after the railway there is a stretch of narrow rough ground which may represent the location of the Roman road at this point, but it is impossible to discern any exact features from the available photography. (3)
|