The Segedunum Roman Fort was built by Emperor Hadrian in AD 122 to defend the Roman Empire from the barbarians to the North. This mighty frontier was built across Britain on the banks of the River Tyne, which was the last outpost of Hadrian's Wall. The Roman Collections at the Segedunum Roman Fort relate to the excavations of late 1970's and 80's. Some of the items that were found were the only stone toilet seat from Roman Britain along with a collection of rounded stones and some defensive missiles used to protect the fort. The fort has an industry gallery displaying several artifacts associated with the local coalmining industry including a series of safety lamps. In the latter half of the second century, during the reign of Septimius Severus, the fort underwent some changes and some new blocks were added to the site. History also reveals the construction of a large water settling tank built at this time, to distribute water to the interior buildings, particularly to the hospital.
The Segedunum Museum and the Wallsend Visitor Centre were opened to visitors on June 2000. A blend of historic and contemporary appearance, the fort is a must-see for anyone visiting the northeast of England. This historic site of Newcastle lies near the Wallsend Metro and is dominated by a 34-metre high viewing tower that overlooks the Segedunum Roman Fort from the East. The tower provides you a superb view of the entire Roman camp. The interiors of the fort are delineated by modern paving and coloured gravel, revealing the plan of the fort in the Severan period. The viewing gallery at the tower offers an exciting computer generated animation of the entire lifetime of Segedunum, from AD1 to AD2000.
