Sunderland, supposed Roman road

HER Number:
15218

District:
Sunderland

Site Name:
Sunderland, supposed Roman road

Place:
Sunderland

Map Sheet:
NZ45NW

Class:
Transport

Site Type: Broad:
Road Transport Site

Site Type: Specific:
Road

General Period:
Roman

Specific Period:

Form of Evidence:
Oral Evidence

Description:
Raymond Selkirk records that in 1940 when Anderson shelters were being sunk into the gardens of St. Aidan's Avenue and Askrigg Avenue, evidence of a Roman road was found (finder unknown) in the gardens of No. 17 St. Aidan's Avenue and No. 26 Askrigg Avenue. The site lies close to the 'Chester Stones' shown on the Tithe Map. There are no photographic or drawn records of this road and no record of its construction, it's width nor it's depth below present ground surface. Local tradition says the same road was found at Langholm Towers, but again there is no record of this find. The site is recorded on the HER so the projected line of this supposed road can be investigated in the event of development along it. Selkirk says that the 'Roman coast road also appears to have linked Sunderland to South Shields'. Again there is no archaeological evidence for this.

Easting:
4099

Northing:
5445

Grid Reference:
NZ40995445

Lats/Lons:

Sources:
Raymond Selkirk, 2001, Chester-le-Street & it's place in history, p 512; Cgms, 2017, Archaeological Desk-based assessment, Sunderland High School.