Benwell Vallum Crossing

The Benwell Vallum Crossing is an important historical site located in the West End of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It forms part of Hadrian's Wall, the defensive fortification built by the Romans in the 2nd century AD to protect Roman Britain from raids by tribes in what is now Scotland.

What you can see here at Benwell are the remains of a Roman gateway through the Vallum. The Vallum was a large ditch dug by the Romans just south of Hadrian's Wall as an additional obstacle to attackers from the north. So there needed to be a same way to cross it and so these Vallum Crossings were built.

Here is an illustration of the Benwell Vallum from the information board with the Wall in the background.

The area between the Vallum and the wall was the military zone.

The gateway is believed to date back to the 3rd century AD, likely built so that Roman soldiers and merchants could pass through the Vallum along Dere Street, which connected supply bases on the River Tyne to a variety of forts along Hadrian's Wall.

Excavations at the Benwell Vallum Crossing site have uncovered gateposts and socket holes that once supported large wooden doors. Stones have also been found that formed part of an aqueduct that supplied nearby garrisons and settlements with water. Archeologists have discovered tiles, bricks, tools, coins, pottery, and other artifacts that reveal details of life at this key defense point along the Roman frontier in Britain.

As you can see the outlines of the gateway and Vallum ditch are still visible today. I'm not sure if you access it to wander around. When we went it was all locked up, but you can still easily see if from behind the fence.