What have the Romans done for us? (Segedunum Roman Fort)

Member Name: collingwood21

Product:	Segedunum Roman Fort
Date:	19/02/02 (95 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to get to on public transport, plenty to see, only working ROman bathhouse in UK, good visitor facilities

Disadvantages: Not the loveliest of settings

For any of you who are even remotely interested in things historical, archaeological, Roman or Geordie the name Segedunum will probably seem somehow familiar to you. This is hardly surprising given how high profile the development was and the number of TV programmes and magazine articles it has appeared it over the past couple of years! For those of you none the wiser, Segedunum is the site of the most easterly fort of Hadrian's Wall, recently developed into a multi-million pound museum and visitor attraction at the appropriately named Wallsend. After five months of living in Newcastle, I eventually found the time to take a trip out there last weekend.


●So where is it exactly?
Well, you have probably figured out by now that Wallsend is part of the urban sprawl of Tyneside, between Newcastle and the coast at North Shields. Not the loveliest of locations I will admit, but a strategically important site to the Romans, who named this "strong fort" as it guarded the supply route of the River Tyne. The site and museum are situated right next to the Swan Hunter shipyard, and conveniently close (about 2 minutes walk) from Wallsend Metro, meaning it is very easy to reach by public transport (just 5 stops from Newcastle city centre, which costs about £2 for a return ticket). I wouldn't like to say what driving it would be like, but for anybody brave enough to do so, there is a large free car park on site.


●How much is it to visit?
Current prices are:
£2.95 for adults
£1.95 for concessions (students & OAPS with ID, children)
Free for under 4s
For the admission fee, you get access to the fort site, museum, film theatre, exhibition gallery and bathhouse.


●The fort site
This was excavated over a number of years by the nice people at Newcastle University and Tyne and Wear Museums, with the foundations laid out on an open plan for visitors to wander amongst. Where parts
of the foundations have been robbed out for use as local building stone, modern yellow stones and gravel have been added to show you what the original plan would have been. It is unfortunate, however, that a bloody big road has been cut through the top part of the fort, leaving some structures laid out on the other side of it, and parts of it lost forever to the forces of progress (grrrr!). Interpretation panels have been added to explain what you are seeing, and markers have been put in place to show where the most important finds were dug up.


●The museum
OK, well it isn't really a museum in the strictest sense - perhaps visitor centre is nearer the mark. Some of the finds made on site are displayed here, and there are plenty of interactive exhibits to explain Roman life - try-on togas, videos, computer reconstructions of the fort and wall, that sort of thing. Great for children and people who love playing around with interactive technology, but of little challenge to most adults (what most people would call "dumbed down", but which museum people prefer to think of as "intellectually accessible"). Most of the displays are inevitably about the Roman occupation of Wallsend, but there is a gallery devoted to the industrial heritage of the area (shipbuilding and coal mining) and a film theatre showing a short local history production to demonstrate that there is more to the area than just the wall.
One of the most popular (and indeed novel) additions to the museum building is the viewing tower - a nine storey high structure that allows you to get a full view of fort and wall while being presented with a nice little film to explain what you are seeing. As far as I am concerned, you could forget the exhibits downstairs, but this I loved! One of the hardest things to do when visiting an expansive site like this is to understand how it all comes together, and this has to be the best way I have ever seen of doi
ng it - you can see the full fort layout and really appreciate how it fits into the landscape.
Everything in the museum building looks new and glossy and only one of the exhibits was out of order when I visited. The building is fully accessible to those with wheelchairs or prams, the toilet facilities were excellent, the café upstairs sold tasty and good value food, and the shop was impressively well stocked.


●The bathhouse
This is really the icing on the cake at Segedunum - the only fully reconstructed and operational Roman bathhouse in the UK (the only other one I know about at all is in Turkey). This, to be honest, was what I really came for; something truly original and really well done piece of experimental archaeology...
...only it wasn't operational when I visited! They are currently doing maintenance work and it will not be running again until May, when I will have to make another trip out there to see this up and running. Apparently it is very impressive though. Mind you, it was pretty impressive even not operational, and I would have happily paid the entrance fee for this alone. The museum even rent out the bathhouse for private functions - toga party, anybody?



Overall then, a highly enjoyable day out - I reckon the Heritage Lottery Fund have backed a winner here! If you are visiting Segedunum, this is what I would recommend:
- Use the Metro rather than driving
- Allow 2 to 3 hours for your visit
- Remember that this is an open and windy area, so if you are visiting out of summer, wrap up well as it can be very cold
- Segedunum can get very busy over the summer holidays, so go to the viewing tower early to avoid crowds as this is extremely popular and has limited space


Segedunum can be contacted at:
Segedunum
Buddle Street
Wallsend
NE28 6HR

(0191) 295 5757

www.hadrians-wall.org

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