The Portgate was a fortified gateway, constructed as part of Hadrian's Wall where it crossed the

Roman road Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman R ...

now known as

Dere Street Dere Street or Deere Street is a modern designation of a Roman road which ran north from Eboracum (York), crossing the Stanegate at Corbridge ( Hadrian's Wall was crossed at the Portgate, just to the north) and continuing beyond into what is ...

, which preceded Hadrian's Wall by around 50 years. It was built to control traffic along Dere Street as it passed north through Hadrian's Wall. The gate's remains exist beneath the old

B6318 Military Road The Military Road is a name given locally to part of the B6318 road in Northumberland, England, which runs from Heddon-on-the-Wall in the east to Greenhead in the west. It should not be confused with the Roman-built Military Way adjoining ...

to the south-west of the Stagshaw Roundabout (the B6318 was diverted slightly for the construction of the Stagshaw Roundabout, leaving two short sections of the existing road unlinked – the remains of the Portgate are buried beneath the western section). The Errington Arms at Stagshaw - geograph

The Errington Arms at Stagshaw - geograph

Origins of the name

If any name was given to the structure by the Romans, it is no longer known. The name Portgate is thought to be of Anglo-Saxon origin.

Construction

The Portgate was constructed from very large masonry blocks. It projected between and north of the wall, sitting astride the wall. It was probably a square or rectangular structure.

Excavations and investigations

*1732 - John Horsley reported visible remains of a fortification at the location, stating *1955 -

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that i ...

Field Investigation. It was noted that to the east of Dere Street there is a suggestion that the ditch turned north and followed the road for a short distance, however it is probable that this effect is due to contemporary drainage ditches. *1966 - Excavation directed by Miss D. Charlesworth exposed the west tower of the Portgate in the verge a few inches North of the kerb of the B6318.

Civil parish

Portgate was a

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of Parish (administrative division), administrative parish used for Local government in England, local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below district ...

, in 1951 the parish had a population of 52. Portgate was formerly a

township A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, C ...

St. John-Lee ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy ...

parish, from 1866 Portgate was a civil parish in its own right until it was abolished on 1 April 1955 and merged with Corbridge.

Monument records

References

Bibliography

* {{Milecastles Hadrian's Wall Former civil parishes in Northumberland Corbridge