Durham Dales
Wed 08th Sep 2010
The Romans
It is almost 2,000 years since the Roman withdrawal from this part of the world, yet their influence remains evident throughout Wear Valley. Dere Street, running from the fortress at York (Eboracum) to Hadrian’s Wall, was one of the most important roads in Roman Britain and ran right through the heart of Bishop Auckland. Today, part of this road forms the long straight main shopping street, Newgate Street.
Built to protect the crossing point of Dere Street over the River Wear, Binchester Roman Fort was the largest fort in the area and was the administrative centre for the region. The massive stone fort was built in the early 2nd Century AD and was defended by a 5m high wall with gateways flanked by guard towers and a huge Vshaped ditch for extra defence. Inside the fort were the headquarters building, the commandant’s house, the hospital, granaries, work-shops, barracks and stables. The Roman Fort became a focus for local activity and a civilian settlement, providing for the needs of the soldiers, soon grew around the fort and became a market centre for the surrounding area.
Today, whilst most of the remains of the fort and the civilian settlement still lie buried under the surrounding countryside, a small part of the site has been excavated and is open to view. Some of the archaeological finds from recent excavations can also be found on display at the nearby Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle.
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