Massive stone footings of a Roman bridge over the River Tees at Piercebridge, left high and dry when the river moved north
Open accessfree to visit at any reasonable time
Substantial ruinsruined, but plenty survives above ground
Massive dressed-stone blocks lie across a field south of the River Tees near Piercebridge, all that survives of a Roman bridge where Dere Street, the road linking York and the Roman fort at Corbridge near Hadrian’s Wall, once ran across the water. Gravel quarrying uncovered the remains in 1972, a run of stone piers on a wide paved base, with a chunky abutment at the southern end built from blocks over a metre and a half long. Built in the early 3rd century to replace an earlier timber crossing, the bridge was probably around 123 metres long. Since Roman times the Tees has shifted north, leaving these stones stranded on dry ground well clear of today’s river. The remains sit out in the open all year, with no ticket needed.
