Chesters Bridge
Encyclopedia
Chesters Bridge was a Roman bridge
over the River North Tyne
at Chollerford
, Northumberland
, England
, and adjacent to Chesters
Roman fort on Hadrian's Wall
. The fort, mentioned in the Notitia Dignitatum
, and now identified with the fort found at Chesters, was known as Cilurnum or Cilurvum.
are approached along a footpath from near Chollerford Bridge
. These remains were first located in 1860. They form one of the most impressive and massive masonry structures to be seen on Hadrians Wall. A shift in the course of the Tyne has moved the river westwards about 66 foot, completely covering or sweeping away much of the west abutment, leaving the eastern abutment
high, if not always dry, on the other bank.
at this point, and was defended by the adjacent cavalry
fort at its foundation, later given over to infantry
. An early inscription on an altar dedicated to Disciplina
, found in 1978, indicates the earliest known military presence was a wing of cavalry, ala Augusta ob virtutem appellata ("named Augusta because of its valour").
122-4. It crossed the river on a series of at least eight hexagonal stone piers
about 13 feet (4 m) apart: the first of these (from the east) can be seen where it has been incorporated into the stonework of the later abutment. The overall length of the bridge between abutments was 200 feet (61 m). The width of these piers suggests that the bridge was intended to convey a structure 10 feet (3 m) wide - the width of the Broad Wall in this area - and that it therefore carried Hadrian's Wall across the river with a series of small stone arches. The masonry appears to have been plain but substantial, and the surviving hexagonal pier bears traces of dovetail cramps of iron set in lead which would have held the stones tightly together.
was a far more massive affair than before, with splayed wing walls both north and south of the bridge's actual line. This abutment, its massive rectangular stones lifted into place using the lewis holes which are a feature of their upper surface, were held together with long iron ties channelled into the masonry to reinforce the front face. The lewis-holes widen as they penetrate. The lewis consisted of a split wedge which, after being inserted in the hole, was widened out to lock into it by the insertion of a strip of metal between the two halves of the wedge. The hook of the crane was then passed through the head of the lewis and the stone was ready for lifting. From this solid abutment there sprang an elegant bridge with four arch
es supported on three substantial river piers
, 34 feet (10.4 m) apart. Its overall length was 189 feet (57.6 m) and was intended to take a road carriageway. Few voussoir
s (wedge-shaped stones from arches) have been found, but there is sufficient other evidence in the form of cornice blocks, grooved to take vertical parapet slabs, and angled mouldings, to show that the bridge was of stone, although others state that the second bridge had a timber superstructure. This second bridge seems to date from the early 3rd century [others give AD 162-5 or AD 206]. There is no evidence for any further repair or alteration to the bridge after that date. There is a male fertility symbol
carved into the northern face of the eastern abutment.
and Estate, moved hundreds of tons of earth to cover over the last remains of the fort as part of his parkland landscaping, thereby creating a smooth uninterrupted grassland slope down to the River Tyne; he collected, before they disappeared, a number of Roman artefacts which he preserved in the family. However his son John Clayton
, a noted antiquarian
, removed all his father's work, exposing the fort, excavating, and establishing a small museum for his finds. John Clayton also made excavations at Housesteads Fort, Carrawburgh
Mithraic Temple
, and Carvoran, amongst others.
Roman bridge
Roman bridges, built by ancient Romans, were the first large and lasting bridges built. Roman bridges were built with stone and had the arch as its basic structure....
over the River North Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
at Chollerford
Chollerford
Chollerford is a village in Northumberland, England. It is situated approximately four miles to the north of Hexham on the B6318 road, not far from Hadrian's Wall. There is a roundabout in the village where the B6318 and B6320 roads meet, and the traffic light-controlled Chollerford Bridge...
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and adjacent to Chesters
Cilurnum
Cilurnum or Cilurvum was a fort on Hadrian's Wall mentioned in the Notitia Dignitatum. It is now identified with the fort found at Chesters near the village of Walwick, Northumberland, England...
Roman fort on Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...
. The fort, mentioned in the Notitia Dignitatum
Notitia Dignitatum
The Notitia Dignitatum is a unique document of the Roman imperial chanceries. One of the very few surviving documents of Roman government, it details the administrative organisation of the eastern and western empires, listing several thousand offices from the imperial court down to the provincial...
, and now identified with the fort found at Chesters, was known as Cilurnum or Cilurvum.
History
The remains of the bridge on the east bank of the River North TyneRiver Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
are approached along a footpath from near Chollerford Bridge
Chollerford Bridge
Chollerford Bridge is a stone bridge that replaced an earlier medieval bridge crossing the River North Tyne at Chollerford, Northumberland, England. Hadrian's Wall crossed the river to Chesters fort on a multi-arched stone bridge about 700m to the southeast.-References:...
. These remains were first located in 1860. They form one of the most impressive and massive masonry structures to be seen on Hadrians Wall. A shift in the course of the Tyne has moved the river westwards about 66 foot, completely covering or sweeping away much of the west abutment, leaving the eastern abutment
Abutment
An abutment is, generally, the point where two structures or objects meet. This word comes from the verb abut, which means adjoin or having common boundary. An abutment is an engineering term that describes a structure located at the ends of a bridge, where the bridge slab adjoins the approaching...
high, if not always dry, on the other bank.
Defence
The bridge carried a military road behind the wall across the River North TyneRiver Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
at this point, and was defended by the adjacent cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
fort at its foundation, later given over to infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
. An early inscription on an altar dedicated to Disciplina
Disciplina
In Roman mythology, Disciplina was a minor deity and the personification of discipline. The word disciplina itself, a Latin noun, is multi-faceted in meaning; it refers to education and training, self-control and determination, knowledge in a field of study, and an orderly way of life. The goddess...
, found in 1978, indicates the earliest known military presence was a wing of cavalry, ala Augusta ob virtutem appellata ("named Augusta because of its valour").
First bridge
There were at least two bridges on this spot. The first, less massive than its successor, was probably contemporary with the construction of the Wall in ADAnno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
122-4. It crossed the river on a series of at least eight hexagonal stone piers
Pier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
about 13 feet (4 m) apart: the first of these (from the east) can be seen where it has been incorporated into the stonework of the later abutment. The overall length of the bridge between abutments was 200 feet (61 m). The width of these piers suggests that the bridge was intended to convey a structure 10 feet (3 m) wide - the width of the Broad Wall in this area - and that it therefore carried Hadrian's Wall across the river with a series of small stone arches. The masonry appears to have been plain but substantial, and the surviving hexagonal pier bears traces of dovetail cramps of iron set in lead which would have held the stones tightly together.
Second bridge
The second bridge was far more massive and the new eastern abutmentAbutment
An abutment is, generally, the point where two structures or objects meet. This word comes from the verb abut, which means adjoin or having common boundary. An abutment is an engineering term that describes a structure located at the ends of a bridge, where the bridge slab adjoins the approaching...
was a far more massive affair than before, with splayed wing walls both north and south of the bridge's actual line. This abutment, its massive rectangular stones lifted into place using the lewis holes which are a feature of their upper surface, were held together with long iron ties channelled into the masonry to reinforce the front face. The lewis-holes widen as they penetrate. The lewis consisted of a split wedge which, after being inserted in the hole, was widened out to lock into it by the insertion of a strip of metal between the two halves of the wedge. The hook of the crane was then passed through the head of the lewis and the stone was ready for lifting. From this solid abutment there sprang an elegant bridge with four arch
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
es supported on three substantial river piers
Pier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
, 34 feet (10.4 m) apart. Its overall length was 189 feet (57.6 m) and was intended to take a road carriageway. Few voussoir
Voussoir
A voussoir is a wedge-shaped element, typically a stone, used in building an arch or vault.Although each unit in an arch or vault is a voussoir, two units are of distinct functional importance: the keystone and the springer. The keystone is the center stone or masonry unit at the apex of an arch. A...
s (wedge-shaped stones from arches) have been found, but there is sufficient other evidence in the form of cornice blocks, grooved to take vertical parapet slabs, and angled mouldings, to show that the bridge was of stone, although others state that the second bridge had a timber superstructure. This second bridge seems to date from the early 3rd century [others give AD 162-5 or AD 206]. There is no evidence for any further repair or alteration to the bridge after that date. There is a male fertility symbol
Petrosomatoglyph
A petrosomatoglyph is an image of parts of a human or animal body incised in rock. Many were created by Celtic peoples, such as the Picts, Scots, Irish, Cornish, Cumbrians, Bretons and Welsh. These representations date from the Early Middle Ages; others of uncertain purpose date back to megalithic...
carved into the northern face of the eastern abutment.
Excavation
In the early 19th century Nathaniel Clayton, owner of Chesters HouseChesters (Humshaugh)
Chesters is a 17th century country mansion situated adjacent to Hadrian's Wall and the Roman fort of Cilurnum at Humshaugh, Northumberland, England. It is a Grade II* listed building....
and Estate, moved hundreds of tons of earth to cover over the last remains of the fort as part of his parkland landscaping, thereby creating a smooth uninterrupted grassland slope down to the River Tyne; he collected, before they disappeared, a number of Roman artefacts which he preserved in the family. However his son John Clayton
John Clayton (Newcastle)
John Clayton was an antiquarian and town clerk of Newcastle upon Tyne, England during the nineteenth century. He worked with the builder Richard Grainger and architect John Dobson to redevelop the centre of the city in a neoclassical style, and Clayton Street in Newcastle is named after him...
, a noted antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
, removed all his father's work, exposing the fort, excavating, and establishing a small museum for his finds. John Clayton also made excavations at Housesteads Fort, Carrawburgh
Carrawburgh
Carrawburgh is a settlement in Northumberland. In Roman times, it was the site of a 3½ acre auxiliary fort on Hadrian's Wall called Brocolitia, Procolita, or Brocolita This name is probably based on the Celtic name for the place, and one possible translation put forward is 'badger holes'...
Mithraic Temple
Mithraeum
A Mithraeum is a place of worship for the followers of the mystery religion of Mithraism.The Mithraeum was either an adapted natural cave or cavern or an artificial building imitating a cavern. Mithraea were dark and windowless, even if they were not actually in a subterranean space or in a natural...
, and Carvoran, amongst others.
See also
- CilurnumCilurnumCilurnum or Cilurvum was a fort on Hadrian's Wall mentioned in the Notitia Dignitatum. It is now identified with the fort found at Chesters near the village of Walwick, Northumberland, England...
- Chollerford BridgeChollerford BridgeChollerford Bridge is a stone bridge that replaced an earlier medieval bridge crossing the River North Tyne at Chollerford, Northumberland, England. Hadrian's Wall crossed the river to Chesters fort on a multi-arched stone bridge about 700m to the southeast.-References:...
- Hadrian's WallHadrian's WallHadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...
- Low BruntonLow BruntonLow Brunton is a small village in Northumberland, England. Nearby settlements include Humshaugh, Chollerford and Walwick.-Early history:...
- PetrosomatoglyphPetrosomatoglyphA petrosomatoglyph is an image of parts of a human or animal body incised in rock. Many were created by Celtic peoples, such as the Picts, Scots, Irish, Cornish, Cumbrians, Bretons and Welsh. These representations date from the Early Middle Ages; others of uncertain purpose date back to megalithic...
Male fertility symbol - Roman bridgeRoman bridgeRoman bridges, built by ancient Romans, were the first large and lasting bridges built. Roman bridges were built with stone and had the arch as its basic structure....
- List of Roman bridges