The Dere Street Trail
The map below shows the route of Dere Street and the Dere Street Trail along which, nearly 2,000 years ago, Roman soldiers marched...
These pages contain information about the Roman forts along Dere Street. The information will also help you visit the Dere Street roman forts and discover "archaeology without digging", "pits which contained sharpened wooden stakes", 28-seater toilets and the remains of Dere Street itself!!!
At each fort site there are illustrated boards which explain different aspects of the sites history.
Roman Remains
Dere Street, built about AD80, was one of the most important roads in Roman Britain. Along Dere Street, as along any important road in the Roman Empire, forts were spaced at convenient intervals which allowed their soldiers stops along their journey and for control of the surrounding countryside.
It was originally a military supply route running from York to the Firth of Forth. Later it became the main supply route to Hadrian's Wall from the fortress at York. The first forts along Dere Street were built in timber. The remains which can be seen today are from the third and fourth century AD by which time the forts had been rebuilt in stone.
The layout of Roman forts generally tended to be similar - rectangular in shape with rounded corners. The internal buildings were normally arranged in a regular manner. Around the fort was a high wall with gates and towers. The fort was divided into three areas. The most important buildings- the Headquarters building, the Commanding Officer's House, the Granaries - were in the middle. The front and back areas were taken up with barracks, workshops and stables.
Dere Street remained in continuous use throughout the Roman period and a number of forts were built along its length. In County Durham these were:
- Binchester (Vinovia)
- Lanchester (Longovicium)
- Ebchester (Vindomora)
- Piercebridge (Morbium) (in Darlington)
- Catterick (Cataractonium) (in North Yorkshire)
Contacts
For further information on Roman sites along the wall contact:Hexham Tourist Information Centre - tel: 01434 652220.
Corbridge Tourist Information Office - tel: 01434 632815 (seasonal opening)
Visit the Hadrian's Wall Tourism Partnership website - Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site
Links to other Archaeology Pages
Dere Street Trail Roman Forts
