Piercebridge Roman Bridge
- Piercebridge Roman Bridge
Piercebridge Roman Bridge is the archaeological remains of a Roman bridge, over the River Tees, near the village of Piercebridge, and in County Durham, England.
The bridge was the crossing point over the river Tees for the Roman Road Dere Street. Piercebridge was also the site of a Roman fort.
The Tees has narrowed and changed its course over the centuries so the remains lie in a field around 100 yards south of the current course of the river.
What remains of the bridge are the massive masonry blocks that formed the piers of the bridge. The lower courses of one of the abutments still stand, partially complete, it is possible to see the holes into which the wooden structure of the bridge would have fitted. All of the timber has disappeared in the nearly 16 centuries since the end of the Roman occupation.
Alternative Interpretation
Whilst the majority opinion amongst archaeologists is that the structure is a bridge, an alternative interpretation has been proposed by amateur archaeologist Raymond Selkirk, who contends that the structure is a navigation dam with an overspill channel. From this, and other evidence he argues that the Romans made far greater use of river transport than is generally recognised. His views are set out in two books, "The Piercebridge Formula" (1983) and "On the Trail of the Legions" (1995).
See also
* Roman bridge
* List of Roman bridges
External links
* [http://www.roman-britain.org/places/piercebridge.htm Roman Britain]
Wikimedia Foundation.
2010.
Look at other dictionaries:
Piercebridge Roman Fort — (possibly originally known as Morbium) is situated in the village of Piercebridge on the banks of the River Tees in County Durham, England.Artifacts found in Piercebridge suggest that there were Romans at Piercebridge as long ago as 70AD, where… … Wikipedia
Bridge at Oinoanda — The Bridge at Oinoanda (or Oenoanda), or Bridge of Kemerarası, is an Ottoman arch bridge over the river Xanthos close to the Lycian town Oinoanda, Turkey. It stands on or near the spot of a Roman bridge, whose existence became known in the 1990s… … Wikipedia
Piercebridge — infobox UK place country = England static static image caption = latitude = 54.53684 longitude = 1.67777 official name = Piercebridge population = shire district= Darlington shire county = County Durham region = North East England constituency… … Wikipedia
Chesters Bridge — For the bridge across the Mississippi, see Chester Bridge. Coordinates: 55°01′30″N 2°08′17″W / 55.025°N 2.138°W / 55.025; 2.138 … Wikipedia
Aesepus Bridge — (Dove Bridge) Central piers (view from south) Carries Roman road to Kyzikos Crosses Aesepus (Gönen Çayı) … Wikipedia
Macestos Bridge — Elevation and plan of the Macestos Bridge Carries Hadrianu Therai Miletopolis road Crosses Simav River (classical Macestos) … Wikipedia
Severan Bridge — with the columns of Roman Emperor Lucius Septimius Severus and his second wife Julia Domna seen from the south. Official name Cendere Köprüsü Carries Road traffic an … Wikipedia
Constantine's Bridge (Danube) — Constantine s Bridge Crosses Danube Locale Celeiu, Romania and Oescus, Bulgaria Total length 2,437 m (7,995 ft) Width 5.7 m (19 ft) … Wikipedia
Nysa Bridge — Carries Substructure for theatre square Crosses Cakircak Locale Nysa (Sultanhisar), Caria, Turkey Design Arch bridge … Wikipedia
Constantine's Bridge (Mysia) — Constantine s Bridge Crosses Rhyndacus (Adırnas Çayı) Locale Mysia, Turkey Design Arch bridge Construction end After 258 AD … Wikipedia
