Pons Aelius

Pons Aelius was a small Roman fort and settlement on Hadrian’s Wall, built near the River Tyne in what is now Newcastle upon Tyne. The fort stood at the eastern end of the wall and took its name from Emperor Hadrian’s family name, Aelius. It guarded a crossing point on the Tyne and controlled the northern bridgehead. The settlement had around two thousand people and covered about one and a half acres. A military road linked the fort to other forts along the wall. The fort’s remains lie beneath Newcastle Castle Keep and the city centre. Excavations have uncovered parts of the fort’s headquarters, granaries and a praetorium. Roman altars, inscriptions and pottery shards have been found nearby. These include altars to Jupiter, mother goddesses and water deities, showing the gods the soldiers worshipped. A stone dedicated to Empress Julia Domna in 213 was recovered from the river. The fort was home to several units over time, including the Cohors Ulpia Traiana Cugernorum in the third century. Later, the Cohors I Cornoviorum, a British unit from Cheshire and Shropshire, was stationed there. The bridge Pons Aelius gave its name to spanned 234 metres across the Tyne. Its central pier once held altars and a monumental inscription, now displayed in the Great North Museum.