Pons Aelius

Pons Aelius (Latin for 'Aelian Bridge') was a Roman auxiliary fort and settlement on Hadrian's Wall at the site of present-day Newcastle upon Tyne, guarding a crucial River Tyne crossing. Named after Emperor Hadrian's family name Aelius, the fort originally marked the wall's eastern terminus before extension to Segedunum at Wallsend. The Roman bridge featured a wooden-decked platform on stone piers spanning approximately 735 feet. Excavations revealed altar stones dedicated to Neptune, Oceanus, and Jupiter, and the garrison in its final phase was the Cohors I Cornoviorum -- the only known native British unit stationed on the wall.