5/5 David B. 5 years ago on Google
Arbeia
Roman
Fort
at
South
Shields
is
a
fascinating
place
which
will
probably
stand
up
to
repeated
visits,
particularly
if
there
is
an
event
there
to
see.
I
hadn't
read
anything
about
this
Roman
Fort
before
going
which
may
have
been
for
the
best
because
I
was
very
pleasantly
surprised
at
how
much
there
was
to
see
and
the
size
of
the
place.
I
only
knew
that
there
was
some
ruins
found
in
a
housing
estate
in South
Shields
and
it
was
free
to
enter,
nothing
more.
When
you
arrive
there
is
a
visitor
centre
with
a
good
range
of
artefacts,
exhibits
(including
a
skeleton
displayed
in
the
floor!),
and
even
some
technology,
with
two
headstones
being
brought
to
life
(for
want
of
a
better
phrase)
with
a
short
statement purportedly
from
that
person
about
who
they
were
and
what
their
life
was
like.
I
was
impressed
by
the
range
of
books,
models/toy
helmets
and
swords,
and
other
things
in
the
gift
shop
which
would
be
perfect
to
call
in
on
the
way
out
you
want
to
find
out
more about
the
Roman
Empire,
or
any
children
want
a
Gladiator-style
helmet,
sweets,
a
chilled
canned
drink
from
the
fridge,
or
a
Horrible
Histories
book.
After
that,
you
go
outside
to
the
ruins
of
the
fort,
some
of
which
have
been
rebuilt
to
'proper'
buildings
to
give
you
an
even
bigger
appreciation
of
life
at
the
thought,
whether
it's
for
the
common
soldier
or
the
Commander.
One
room
has
a
TV
which
plays a
short
film
about
the
history
behind
the
fort,
the
excavations,
and
the
contributions
from
two
of
the
people
involved
in
the
archaeological
dig
and
have
found
Roman
artefacts
make
archaeology,
in
a
similar
way
to
something
like
Time
Team,
sound
very
exciting and
emotionally
rewarding.
It's
a
very
strange
place
because
of
the
location.
Unlike
most
Roman
sites,
this
isn't
surrounded
by
fields
or
other
similar
sites,
but
terraced
housing.
It's
very
incongruous
but
makes
you
wonder
how
much
of
this
country
was
under
Roman
occupation
and the
chances
of
finding
potentially
priceless
historical
artefacts
in
your
back
garden,
a
public
park,
or
a
field
–
I
guess
there's
a
reason
why
people
(like
Lance
and
Andy
in
the
TV
show
'Detectorists')
spend
so
much
time
outside
metal
detectors!