Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort

Over het museum

Arbeia guarded the mouth of the River Tyne and the sea route to Hadrian's Wall. People lived on the site long before the Romans, but a timber fort was built here in the early second century, and in about AD 163 it was rebuilt in stone. In the early third century the fort became a supply base, with a row of granaries, to feed the campaigns of the emperor Septimius Severus in Scotland. Later rebuilding gave it barracks and a large courtyard house for the commanding officer, and its name Arbeia is linked to a unit of Tigris boatmen from the east who were stationed there.

After Roman rule ended the site stayed in use for centuries, and by the Middle Ages the land belonged to Durham Cathedral and was open farmland. When housing was planned in 1875, local antiquarians raised money for an excavation, which uncovered the famous tombstones of Regina and Victor. Further digs followed in the 20th century, and the museum opened in 1953. In the 1960s and 1970s the Victorian houses on the fort were cleared, and the site came under Tyne and Wear Museums in 1975.

Today the fort is looked after by North East Museums for South Tyneside Council. Visitors can see the excavated remains and full-size reconstructions of the west gate, a barrack block and part of the commanding officer's house, together with two galleries of finds. It is part of the Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site.

Hoogtepunten

• Reconstructed West Gate, barrack block and Commanding Officer's House
• Amazing Finds gallery with Roman objects from the fort
• Tombstones of Regina and Victor
• Excavated granaries, gateways and headquarters buildings
• TimeQuest interactive excavation area

Vaste collectie

• Amazing Finds – A gallery of objects left behind by the people who lived in the fort and what they reveal about life there.
• Set in Stone – A gallery about the buildings on the site, Roman religion and burial customs, including the tombstones of Regina and Victor.
• Reconstructed Roman buildings – Full-scale reconstructions of the West Gate, a soldiers' barrack block and the Commanding Officer's House.

Opgericht

1953

Beheerder

North East Museums, for South Tyneside Council

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

De toegang is gratis.

Entry is free when the fort is open to the public (it is closed to general visitors until spring 2027); donations are welcome and booking is not needed for general visits. Special events may charge an extra fee, which is stated in advance.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift: geen informatie
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

There is step-free access into the museum, the Commanding Officer's House and the barrack block. The reconstructed West Gate cannot be entered by wheelchair users because of steep, narrow stairs, but video views of its interior are shown in the Commanding Officer's House. Paths on the fort site are gravel and stone on original Roman roads, and are uneven in places. A wheelchair can be borrowed free of charge, and there is seating across the site. Accessible toilets with baby changing are next to the museum; the nearest Changing Places toilet is at Asda in South Shields. Parking is on the street.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Doe- en voelstations
• Verschoonruimte

Hands-on activities let visitors rebuild parts of the fort with model blocks and furnish the Commanding Officer's House, and the TimeQuest area has an interactive excavation. Breastfeeding is welcome throughout, and a private room is available on request.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

From the Interchange walk along Station Approach, turn right onto King Street and then Ocean Road towards the sea front; at the corner of Ocean Road and Baring Street, look for a stone pillar with a Roman soldier and turn left. Once the fort reopens to the public, visitors with a valid bus ticket on selected lines get 10% off in the gift shop.

Service & horeca

• Café: niet aanwezig
• Restaurant: niet aanwezig
• Museumwinkel

There is no café, but, when the fort is open, the shop sells snacks and cold drinks, and visitors can bring their own food to the lawn and picnic area.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

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