Segedunum is celebrating a share of the national spotlight which comes as it prepares for its winter closure.
The Roman fort and museum in Wallsend was given a mention in a travel article in The Guardian which saw Hadrian's Wall top a list of five great car-free breaks around the UK. The article, highlighting the bus route which enables visitors to enjoy the World Heritage Site without having to drive, singled out Segedunum too.
In a mention of the rich museum opportunities in the area, it added of the fort near Wallsend Metro station: "a viewing tower overlooks the outline of the fort and maps of imperial power sit alongside details of everyday life: the dice that Roman soldiers used to pass the time or the mark of a cat’s paw on an ancient piece of pottery."
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The archaeological finds and that 35 metre-high tower, with its remarkable views, are just some of the attractions at Segedunum, whose name means ‘strong fort’. It was built to guard the eastern end of the Roman Wall, once housed 600 soldiers and is the most excavated of the wall's forts, with the site now featuring lots of foundations plus an interactive museum with full-scale reconstructions.
The museum, which tweeted about its "great" mention in the Guardian, is currently also inviting people to visit to see an exhibition about how the wall was built; a mosaic art display and cartoons before it closes for the winter season on December 4.
Before then it will be open between 10am and 3pm daily, except Sunday. Entry costs £5.95 (£3.95 concessions) and is free to under 16s. There is also an offer of free entry to those living in the NE28 postcode area.
From November 29, Segedunum also will be taking part, alongside the rest of Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums, in The Big Give initiative and TWAM has set itself a Christmas Challenge target of raising £12,000 to support local people in need. It says anything that people donate will be doubled. To find out more see here.
Segedunum's winter closure will run from December 4 to January 8 inclusive.
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