Piercebridge Roman Fort
| Piercebridge Roman Fort | |
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Piercebridge Roman Fort looking south
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  Piercebridge Roman Fort shown within County Durham |
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| Alternative name(s) | Morbium, Vinovium |
| Founded | c. 2nd century AD |
| Abandoned | 5th or 6th century AD |
| Province | Britannia |
| — Legions — | |
| Coordinates | 54°32′06″N 1°40′41″W / 54.535°N 1.678°W |
| Place name | Piercebridge |
| County | County Durham |
| Country | England |
| UK-OSNG reference | NZ209156 |
| Excavation dates |
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| Archaeologists | |
| Exhibitions | |
Piercebridge Roman Fort (possibly originally known as Morbium or Vinovium) is a scheduled ancient monument situated in the village of Piercebridge on the banks of the River Tees in County Durham, England. There were Romans here from about 70 AD until at least the early 5th century. There was an associated vicus and bath house at Piercebridge, and another vicus and a villa south of the river at Cliffe, Richmondshire. The Victorians used carved stones from this site when they built St Mary's church at Gainford, County Durham. Part of the site is under Piercebridge village green.
Lumps and bumps in the village green at Piercebridge indicate that underneath it is the Roman fort which was called Magis or Morbium.Dere Street was the main road through it, or Via Principalis. It was the furthest south of four forts along Dere Street in what is now County Durham, the others being at Binchester, Lanchester and Ebchester. Artefacts found in Piercebridge suggest that there were Romans on the site around the river as long ago as 70 AD, perhaps because there was a ford or ferry to be defended from the Brigantes. A civil settlement in the Toft field existed by 125 AD, and a military installation alongside Dere Street south of the Tees appeared in the late 2nd century. However the fortifications which can be seen today on the north side of the river were not built until 260 to 270 AD, when the other Roman settlements and vicus north and south of the river began to decrease in size. The fort was maintained from around 290 to 350 AD, with later development, by which time the inhabitants were mostly inside the fort area. It was inhabited until the 6th century, although some theories state that it was finally abandoned in the early 5th century. It is now a scheduled ancient monument. It was not the only Roman fort next to a bridge hereabouts; there was also Greta Bridge.
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