Cade's Road

Cade's Road is the name given to a Roman road that that is believed to have run from the Humber Estuary northwards, crossing the River Tees and River Wear, to the River Tyne, a distance of about a hundred miles. Even though evidence exists for a Roman road on some parts of the proposed route, there is still some doubt regarding the exact course of the road.

Named after the eighteenth century antiquarian, John Cade of Durham who suggested its course in detail in 1785, the road's Roman name is unknown. In fact, very little appears to be known about the road.

Route

From the Humber to the Tees

Cade's Road began at Brough-on-Humber where there was a ferry, a Roman fort and civilian settlement (Petuaria) alongside a major Celtic settlement, and it can be assumed also a port. The road ran northwards through Thorpe le Street and Market Weighton, before gradually turning westwards (possibly following the line of another Roman road) until it reached York (Roman Eboracum). From York it continued northwards to Thornton-le-Street near Thirsk and on to cross the River Tees (on a stone bridge now gone, but stones of which are incorporated into local buildings) near Middleton St George and Middleton One Row, where 'Pounteys Lane' is named after the Roman Pons Tees (Bridge of Tees).

From the Tees to the Tyne

From the Tees the road heads north through Sadberge and then Great Stainton (also known as Stainton-le-Street) near Sedgefield. The route of the road in the Durham area is unknown, but it is believed that the road passed east Durham City. The road ran past the Roman fort of Concangis, now known as Chester-le-Street. Concangis is the only known Roman fort on the road between York and Newcastle. From Concangis the road headed north through Birtley to Wrekenton, once a village but now a suburb of Gateshead. From Wrekenton, a branch road, known as the Wrekendyke, headed north-east to the Roman fort and harbour of Arbeia at South Shields. It has been conjectured that the site of a Roman fort exists on the golf course at Wrekenton, but this has never been confirmed. Cade’s Road continued north from Wrekenton along Gateshead High Street and crossed the Tyne over the Roman bridge of Pons Aelius (Newcastle-upon-Tyne). It is not believed that the road continued north of the Wall.

ee also

*Roman roads in Britain
*Roman Britain

References

* Frank Graham, The Roman Wall, Comprehensive History and Guide (1979), Frank Graham, ISBN 0 85983 140 X - pages 242-244

* Raymond Selkirk, On the Trail of the Legions (1995), Anglia Publishing, ISBN 1 897874 08 1 – pages 94, 95,215, 329,

External sources

This article derives from local newspaper reports and local amateur group reports listed below:
*http://www.n-a-g.freeserve.co.uk/DOCUMENTS/ISS02_OCT98/ISS02_OCT98.htm#6
*http://www.communigate.co.uk/ne/archaeologynorth/page5.phtml
*http://www.biffvernon.freeserve.co.uk/northallerton.htm
*http://www.communigate.co.uk/ne/sadberge/page3.phtml
* [http://archive.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/2005/9/22/206798.html On verge of rewriting history] , The Northern Echo, 2005-09-22. Retrieved on 2007-07-29.
*http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/Darlington%20and%20the%20Tees%20Vale.htm