Jarrow, supposed Roman fort

HER Number:
993

District:
S Tyneside

Site Name:
Jarrow, supposed Roman fort

Place:
Jarrow

Map Sheet:
NZ36NW

Class:
Defence

Site Type: Broad:

Site Type: Specific:
Fort

General Period:
Roman

Specific Period:

Form of Evidence:
Implied Evidence

Description:
Since early in the 19th century some local antiquarians and archaeologists have subscribed to the view that there was a Roman fort at Jarrow. Hodgson described it as "an oblong square of about 3 acres, with its corners rounded off", with "underground foundations of a wall of strong masonry" marking out "its area on every side", and including within it the church and churchyard. He thought the north wall of the house at the north-east corner of the churchyard could actually be Roman. He also reported brick pavements at the east end of Jarrow Row, and walls beneath Jarrow Hall. Although a number of Roman artifacts have been found in the vicinity (HER no. 983-992), excavations in the priory in 1935 and 1963-78, on the scarp which forms the east edge of the park in 1973, and north of Jarrow Hall in 1989-90 have not produced either Roman stratification or structures.

Easting:
339

Northing:
652

Grid Reference:
NZ339652

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
<< HER 993 >> R. Surtees, 1820, History...of Durham, Vol. II, pp. 68-9 J. Hodgson, 1840, History of Northumberland, Part 2 Vol. III, pp. 230-1 J.C. Bruce, 1851, The Roman Wall, p. 323 Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle, 1937, Jarrow Monastery and the Venerable Bede Commemorations, 4, VII (for 1935-36), p. 48 R.P. Wright, DUJ, Vol. 29, p. 343 E.B. Birley, 1961, Research on Hadrian's Wall, pp. 157-9 R.J. Cramp, 1969, Excavations at the Saxon Monastic Sites of Wearmouth and Jarrow... Medieval Archaeology, Vol. XIII, pp. 21-66 S. Speak, 1990, Jarrow, Medieval Settlement Research Group, Annual Report, 5, p. 35 C.D. Morris, 1974, Jarrow Slake, Co. Durham, Council British Archaeology3 Newsbulletin, No. 6, Jan. 1974, p. 10; David J. Breeze, 2006, J. Collingwood Bruce's Handbook to the Roman Wall, 14th edition, p 130; Tyne And Wear Museums, 2010, Drewitt's Park play area, Jarrow, Tyne and Wear - Archaeological Watching Brief; Turner, A, 2011, Geophysical Surveys at Wearnouth and Jarrow 2008-2011