11/04/2025
A Busy River Crossing, a Victorian Powerhouse, and the Deadly Waters of the Tees
It’s hard to imagine today, but this peaceful picnic site has seen plenty of action in the past—much of it fraught with danger.
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Crossing the Tees
You are standing on the site of an important Roman road that once linked the forts of Bowes (to the south, across the river) and Binchester (some 24 km or 15 miles to the north). It was once thought that the Romans constructed a ford to cross the River Tees when they arrived here in the 1st century AD. However, archaeologists now tend to agree that they were more likely to have built a bridge.
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Power to the People
For over 120 years, this site was occupied by a gasworks—hidden from view but vital in supplying light, heat, and power to the town. While building the gasworks, more than a thousand years after the Romans had left, Victorian workers uncovered a 4-metre (12-foot) wide Roman road, buried 2 metres (6 feet) below the surface.
The old Roman road passed diagonally down from the left of the picture, underneath the gas holder nearest to you.
The Old Gasworks in the 1890s. The high, curved stone retaining wall in front of the old gasworks building still stands on the site behind you.
An Elijah Yeoman photograph from 1902 shows the Governor House under construction. The two large metal cylinders (or ‘governors’) regulated the pressure of gas supplied to the town.
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Roman Sculpture Garden
After the last gasholder was demolished in the 1990s, the area was reclaimed and repurposed. Harking back to the site’s Roman connections, the circular mosaic was designed by primary school children in Bowes, working alongside local sculptor Keith Alexander.
Keith also carved the stone seats in a simple Roman style, reflecting both the area’s Roman heritage and its connection to the River Tees. His work was inspired by conversations with local residents and their memories of the river.
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Strategic Importance
As they advanced through Britain, the Romans built a network of forts in this area, linked by roads. The crossing of the River Tees at this point determined the future location of Bernard Castle—strategically placed on the route between Bowes (Lavatrae) and Binchester (Vinovia), both forts of significant importance.
Without a bridge to cross the river here, Roman soldiers would have been forced to make a long diversion to avoid the dangerous Tees’ rapids and falls. The placement of this river crossing was vital.
