Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort — Attraction in South Tyneside

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...

This museum and ruins are absolutely amazing. There are reconstructions of Roman buildings from that period which are convincing and which provide an immersive experience to show what life in Roman times was like. Plenty of information about this fort and the north of England and Hadrian wall in Roman times.

Staff were very friendly and informative on the fort. Facilities such as toilets were of good standard. Gift shop was small however, there are a selection of key chains, fridge magnets, books, toys etc. What you would expect. I visited on a slightly rainy weekday and I was the only one there. Entry is free which makes it incredibly worth the visit especially for any locals or tourists. You can make your way round the ruins and museum in under 2 hours while seeing everything. I'd advise 30 minutes minimum for a visit here.

I would highly recommend for a free experience where you can view a large Roman fort with reconstructed buildings and an educational experience of the Romans in...

All FREE A UNESCO World Heritage Site (under frontiers of the Roman empire on UNESCO site) with the finest full-scale Roman reconstructions in the country and showcases some of the most significant finds from that time. Arbeia was a large Roman fort, now ruined, which has been partially reconstructed. It was first excavated in the 1870s. All modern buildings on the site were cleared in the 1970s. The fort was built in 129 AD as a small cohort fort, a few years later than most of the Hadrian's Wall forts, on the Lawe Top overlooking the mouth of the River Tyne and four miles beyond the eastern end of Hadrian’s wall, from where it guarded the flank and main sea supply route to the Wall and the small port on the south of the Tyne. A great place to visit if you're interested in Roman History, a small museum but very interesting, plus the reconstructed buildings on the original foundations were really good, but looking a bit tired, as it's free and reliant...