Piercebridge Roman Bridge

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Piercebridge Roman Bridge is the archaeological remains of a Roman bridge, over the River Tees, near the village of Piercebridge, and in County Durham, England.

The bridge was the crossing point over the river Tees for the Roman Road Dere Street. Piercebridge was also the site of a Roman fort.

The Tees has narrowed and changed its course over the centuries so the remains lie in a field around 100 yards south of the current course of the river.

What remains of the bridge are the massive masonry blocks that formed the piers of the bridge. The lower courses of one of the abutments still stand, partially complete, it is possible to see the holes into which the wooden structure of the bridge would have fitted. All of the timber has disappeared in the nearly 16 centuries since the end of the Roman occupation.

Alternative Interpretation

Whilst the majority opinion amongst archaeologists is that the structure is a bridge, an alternative interpretation has been proposed by amateur archaeologist Raymond Selkirk, who contends that the structure is a navigation dam with an overspill channel. From this, and other evidence he argues that the Romans made far greater use of river transport than is generally recognised. His views are set out in two books, The Piercebridge Formula (1983) and On the Trail of the Legions (1995).