We think getting your imagination up and running is the best way to begin your adventure to Benwell Vallum Crossing.

Often with such ancient ruins, time has worn away the structures they once were, but that just gives you the opportunity to fill in the blanks.

Let your imagination go wild

Only ruins remain of the gateway and crossing, the perfect foundations in our books to let your romantic imagination run wild.

Conjure up your own idea of what the mighty gateway arching over the area would've looked like.

Standing just south of Hadrian’s Wall, the gateway acted as a boundary between the civilians behind it and the Roman military in the north.

Sidebar about vallums

(Just to clear things up, a vallum is essentially a long channel of earth, dug out in the middle and built up on either side to act as an earthen border. Now that’s all sorted, back to the action.)

When the Romans came to Britain, they brought along with them knowledge of architecture and construction - the most notable and famous of which has to be Hadrian’s Wall.

But they also brought along with them a system of ruling from the top down.

The empire held much of the power and Benwell Vallum Crossing would’ve been a demonstration of this, its mighty construction a message to any enemies around.

History intertwined with the modern world

The site is surrounded by houses now, but back then it would’ve been the gateway to one of the many forts across Hadrian’s Wall. Imagine what it would’ve been like all that time ago.

You’d be walking along down a simple road headed north, the natural landscape of England sweeping away on all sides.

Then suddenly, looming up ahead, the gateway would’ve come into view, standing guard before the fort of Condercum.

Further adventures through history

It won’t take long to check out the remains of the crossing which gives you plenty of time to explore the surrounding area.

Hadrian’s Wall has plenty of historical sites to explore and the closest of these is the Benwell Roman Temple and Denton Hall Turret.

They’re similarly surrounded by houses but a short stop at each is a quick journey into our past and offers a real sense of perspective on our history as a civilisation.

And then, of course, Newcastle’s city centre is a short distance away so once you're done on your adventures through the past, there’s nothing like hopping back into the present with a sit-down, something delicious to eat, and a nice drink to wash it all down with.