BENWELL (Condercum)		Quality of Remains
		Ease of Access
		Atmosphere & Setting

History:

Condercum (or 'the place with the fine view') is one of the forts on Hadrian's wall, lying between Rudchester and Newcastle-on-Tyne. A reasonably-sized cavalry fort, Benwell was ideally placed for equestrian activity. It is in a commanding position, though less so these days due to the suburban housing, with undulating grassland on all sides. One of the originally-planned wall forts, Condercum followed roughly the same life-cycle as the other wall forts, falling into decay and disuse in the 5th century.

Occupation:

The Second Legion were responsible for the original construction Benwell, and the Twentieth Legion are attested during late-2nd century rebuilding or repair, though there is no reason to believe either legion was ever stationed there. The men of the British fleet are also attested here on building work, but likely at the same time as the Second Legion and probably drawn as additional workforce from their base at South Shields. The First Cohort of Vangiones are attested here in the late second century though, since Benwell was probably not large enough to accomodate the entire unit and they are attested at Chesters in the same period, the unit may have been split between the two forts. The late 4th century garrison was the 1st Ala of Asturian Spaniards, according to the Notitia Dignitatum. What units occupied the fort between these two periods remains to be seen.

Remains and Visit:

There is nothing to be seen at all of the actual fort of Condercum, though the northern section of the fort is clearly visible as a grass platform on the north side of the main road. This is deceiving, as it looks like a fort platform, but is in fact a covered reservoir. However, the reservoir almost exactly overlies this portion of the fort and gives a good idea of positioning and size. The strength of Benwell as a Roman site, however, lies in its ancillary buildings. In the middle of a housing estate to the south of the fort itself lies the only visible Vallum crossing on the wall. This consists of the ditch which has been excavated down to its original level, traversed by a causeway faced with stone, upon which stands the stone base of a gateway. This is unique and therefore deserving of a visit. Also, in another estate not far away and to the east of the fort lies a small temple to the god Antenociticus, which is well preserved and decorated with replica altars (the originals of which are in the museum in Newcastle.)

Images:

Fort location	Vallum Crossing	Model of crossing in Newcastle museum
Temple of Antenociticus	Antenociticus' head in Newcastle museum	Aerial View (c/o Google Earth)