ROMAN TYNESIDE SATURDAY 28 APRIL 2001<p>
This was the first of our urban walks, organised to keep us walking while most of the countryside is out of bounds.The walk starts at the Roman fort in South Shields which is an easy walk from the Metro station, but a complicated drive if you follow the signs the way we came into Shields.The fort, called Arbeia, was built from 122 AD, during the reign of the emperor Hadrian to guard the mouth of the Tyne, and was probably garrisoned by a cavalry regiment.<img src="ihadrian.JPG"> In 208 AD, during the reign of the emperor Severus, the fort was turned into a supply base for an invasion of Scotland, after which it reverted to guard duties. The fort was probably deserted from the end of the fourth century or start of the fifth century. On display are a full scale recreation of the fort's west gate and the Barbour Archaeology Resource Centre, or Time Quest. The fort is open from 1000 until 1730.The walk from Arbeia to Jarrow set the scene of the whole day. The riverside is now a mix of heavy industry and housing developments. The housing developments allowed us to follow the riverside quite closely on pleasant promenades, but the factories generally diverted us inland onto pavements alongside some quite busy roads. Any walk in urban areas must be a reminder that people have to have jobs, and that factories and shipyards can also be more interesting to see on foot than from a car.The next major site is Jarrow monastery, founded by Benedict Biscop. Abbot of Wearmouth in 681. Jarrow monastery is of course famous as the home of Bede (673-735) who here wrote the "History of the English Church and People". Originally the monastery had two churches built end to end, but now only the east church remains, forming the chancel of St Paul's, because the west church was demolished in 1782.<p> The monastery was abandoned in the ninth century and not refounded until 1074. For much of its mediaeval history Jarrow remained a small community dependant on Durham and the standing ruins date from the eleventh century. Jarrow Hall, built around 1800 and now part of 

the Bede's World museum, contains an exhibition about the monasteries. St Paul's church contains a Saxon cross base and a collection of Anglo-Saxon sculpture. The chancel contains a rare example of Saxon glass made at Jarrow, said to be the oldest glass church window in Europe, and the steward's there are very hospitable. St Paul's Church is open from 1000 until 1630 and Bede's World from 1000 to 1730. Also nearby is Jarrow bridge which is undated although the crossing dates back to the foundation of the monastery.From Jarrow we followed the River Don northwards to its meeting with the Tyne and crossed the Tyne using the foot tunnel built in 1947-1951. This is one of the few examples of a walk where you climb to get to ground level.
The north bank of the Tyne was largely industrial, but some work has been done to create mark out cycle ways, some of which are away from the road on old railway lines. The longest of these led to our next stop.The third stopping place is the Roman fort at Wallsend, called Segedunum. Hadrian's Wall was built from 122 AD following a revolt by Britons. After work had started the decision was taken around 124 AD to extend the wall from Newcastle eastwards to Wallsend and I presume this is when Segedunum was started. In the third and fourth century the fort was manned by a part infantry part cavalry cohort. The Wall was finally abandoned around 400 AD. Since housing was cleared from the site in 1975, it has been excavated and developed using lottery money, displaying a rebuilt section of wall, bathhouse, lavatories and a 100 foot high observation tower. Segedunum is open from 1000 until 1700.
From Wallsend we retraced our steps eastwards along the Tyne and via the Royal Quays to North Shields. On this stretch we got the full mix of live and dead industry, housing, shops and cycle ways until we reached the landing to catch the ferry back to South Shields. Perhaps the Roman garrison of Arbeia were similarly ferried across by the bargemen from the River Tigris who were stationed there at the end of the fourth century.