Piercebridge: Roman Bridges and Fort

Piercebridge offers a journey through several periods of construction: Roman bridge and fort history meets a road bridge from the early 16th century, a 19th-century church and a short circular walk. For travellers interested in historic sites, it is especially helpful to distinguish the Roman bridge remains from the later road bridge. The fort and civilian settlement are also distinct parts of the town’s Roman history.

Roman Bridge and Later Road Bridge

The Piercebridge Roman Bridge carried Dere Street, the Roman road that linked York with Corbridge near Hadrian’s Wall via the River Tees. Its surviving remains lie dry on the south bank of the River Tees, because the river has shifted north since the bridge was built. Only a few Roman bridges in Roman Britain have survived in any form, which makes these remains highly significant. Piercebridge is also considered an important site for the study of Roman bridges and construction techniques.

The Piercebridge Bridge is distinct from the Roman remains. It is a road bridge over the River Tees dating from the early 16th century; in 1781 it was widened on the downstream side. This makes it possible to distinguish the Roman route along Dere Street from the later road bridge as structures from different periods.

Fort and Civilian Settlement

Around AD 260, a large fort was built at Piercebridge to house auxiliary cavalry troops. It remained occupied until the end of the Roman period. Visible remains include the fort’s northeast corner, its latrine and some buildings from the civilian settlement outside the east gate.

Their locations distinguish two components of the Roman site: the corner and latrine belong to the fort, while the settlement buildings mentioned stood outside its east gate. The site’s history is therefore not limited to the military structure; the remains also include parts of the civilian settlement.

Other Historic Buildings

The Church of St Mary in Piercebridge was built in 1873 by Cory and Ferguson in the Early English style. It is a Grade II listed building.

Another historical layer is represented by the ruins of a medieval chapel in the back garden of Bath House, Tees View. They were built in part on the foundations of a Roman bathhouse. This construction history brings together Roman and medieval traces without conflating the two periods.

The Piercebridge Circular

The Piercebridge Circular is a short, 1 km circular walk exploring the Roman history of this important crossing point. It starts at the George Hotel overflow car park and crosses the road bridge. The route description also includes a stile, a green lane and a section along the riverbank leading to the remains of the Roman bridge.

If you’d like to explore the history of the bridges and fort on foot, the walk combines its Roman theme with specific route features. The 1 km distance gives the length of the short circuit; the sections listed describe its course, while keeping the historic road bridge distinct from the Roman remains.

Getting Your Bearings

For food, Piercebridge currently has two pubs: Foxhole and George Hotel, and both serve food. North of the A67, there is also an organic farm shop with a café and a garden centre. Alongside the historic sites, these provide a few practical stops to help with your trip planning.

Discover more destinations: Walworth, Darlington.

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