Newport Arch
Encyclopedia
Newport Arch is the name given to the remains of a 3rd century Roman gate in the city of Lincoln, Lincolnshire
. It is reputedly the oldest arch in the United Kingdom still used by traffic.
The arch was remodelled and enlarged when the city, then Lindum Colonia
, became capital of the province Flavia Caesariensis
in the 4th century. It is one of many original Roman arches still open to traffic, other examples being two gates through the city walls of the Roman town of Diocletianopolis
(now Hisarya, Bulgaria
), as well as numerous examples in Turkey
.
As the north gate of the city, it carried the major Roman road Ermine Street
northward almost in a straight line to the Humber
.
From Romano-British Buildings and Earthworks by John Ward (1911):
struck the arch while attempting to pass under it.
Forty years later, in May 2004, another lorry struck the arch, causing minor damage.
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
. It is reputedly the oldest arch in the United Kingdom still used by traffic.
History
Lindum Colonia
Lindum Colonia was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. Today it is called Lincoln, in the English county of Lincolnshire.-Fort and name:...
, became capital of the province Flavia Caesariensis
Flavia Caesariensis
Flavia Caesariensis was one of the provinces of Roman Britain.It was created in the early 4th century under the reforms of Diocletian and it has been suggested that its capital may have been at Lincoln...
in the 4th century. It is one of many original Roman arches still open to traffic, other examples being two gates through the city walls of the Roman town of Diocletianopolis
Diocletianopolis
Diocletianopolis may refer to a number of places in the ancient world.*Diocletianopolis in Palaestina, now a titular see, was in Palaestina Prima*Diocletianopolis in Thracia was a suffragan see of Philippopolis, in Thrace...
(now Hisarya, Bulgaria
Hisarya, Bulgaria
Hisarya is a small resort town in Bulgaria, in Plovdiv Province.Located in the outskirts of the Sredna Gora mountain range, it boasts of a very mild climate and over two dozen different mineral springs, which make it a favorite spa for many Bulgarian and foreign tourists.The town's population is...
), as well as numerous examples in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
As the north gate of the city, it carried the major Roman road Ermine Street
Ermine Street
Ermine Street is the name of a major Roman road in England that ran from London to Lincoln and York . The Old English name was 'Earninga Straete' , named after a tribe called the Earningas, who inhabited a district later known as Armingford Hundred, around Arrington, Cambridgeshire and Royston,...
northward almost in a straight line to the Humber
Humber
The Humber is a large tidal estuary on the east coast of Northern England. It is formed at Trent Falls, Faxfleet, by the confluence of the tidal River Ouse and the tidal River Trent. From here to the North Sea, it forms part of the boundary between the East Riding of Yorkshire on the north bank...
.
- “A considerable portion of the north gate of Lincoln — the Newport Arch — is standing, but is buried to the extent of about 8 ft (2.4 m). in the soil and débris accumulated since Roman times. The structure is about 34 ft (10.4 m). deep and has a single passage for the road, 17½ ft. wide. The inner or back portal of this passage is still intact, and is nearly 16 ft (4.9 m). in the clear and rises to a height of about 22½ ft. above the Roman level. Its arch is of a single ring of large limestone voussoir
VoussoirA 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 rising from imposts which appear to have been moulded. The outer or front arch has long since disappeared. On the east side is a posternPosternA postern is a secondary door or gate, particularly in a fortification such as a city wall or castle curtain wall. Posterns were often located in a concealed location, allowing the occupants to come and go inconspicuously. In the event of a siege, a postern could act as a sally port, allowing...
for pedestrians, 7 ft (2.1 m). wide and contracting to about 5 ft (1.5 m). at the north end, and 15 ft (4.6 m). high from the Roman level. On the west side there was a similar postern about a century ago. The whole structure is of good masonry, and it appears to have projected considerably beyond the north face of the town wall.”
Accidents
In 1964 a goods lorryLorry
-Transport:* Lorry or truck, a large motor vehicle* Lorry, or a Mine car in USA: an open gondola with a tipping trough* Lorry , a horse-drawn low-loading trolley-In fiction:...
struck the arch while attempting to pass under it.
Forty years later, in May 2004, another lorry struck the arch, causing minor damage.
External links
- Lindum: General information on Roman Lincoln and inscriptions
- Not resting on their laurels A survey of Lincoln's Roman heritage
- The day Newport Arch (almost) came down Shocking images of damage done by the 1964 crash