07/03/2026
For nearly 2,000 years the hill above South Shields has watched over the mouth of the River Tyne. This is where the Romans built the great supply fort of Arbeia Roman Fort, the gateway to the northern frontier of the Roman Empire.
Around AD 122, the emperor Hadrian ordered the construction of Hadrian’s Wall. Arbeia became one of the most important forts in Britain, supplying the entire wall with food, equipment, and troops. Soldiers from across the empire served here from Italy, Gaul (France), and even Syria, standing guard at the edge of the known world.
Today, those same stones are still here. The reconstructed gatehouse stands tall, the fort walls remain, and the view over the Tyne is the same view Roman soldiers once watched.
Yet just down the hill sits a high street that has fallen quiet.
South Shields already welcomes around 5.5 million visitors every year, most of them coming for our beaches in the summer. But many never realise that one of the most important Roman sites in Britain is right here in the town. Our history is powerful, unique, and largely untapped.
Arbeia Rising is about changing that.
The idea is simple: remind locals and visitors alike that South Shields is not just a seaside town, it is a Roman frontier town. A place where history happened. A place where the Roman Empire once stood.
Imagine visitors walking up to the fort, exploring the gatehouse, standing where Roman soldiers once stood… then walking back down into the town. Small independent shops inspired by Roman history. Crafts, souvenirs, themed cafés, storytelling, local businesses benefiting from the flow of visitors.
Roman helmets for kids. Handmade shields. “Hadrian Was Here” mugs. Candles that smell like ancient pine forests. Little things that make the experience memorable and keep people exploring the town.
We’re not trying to recreate the past, we’re using it to spark a future.
By celebrating our Roman roots, we can help bring life back to the high street, encourage new businesses, support local traders, and give visitors a reason to stay longer than just a few hours on the beach.
South Shields has something many towns would dream of: a globally significant Roman site sitting right on its doorstep.
This could be the restart our town needs.
Arbeia is the spark.
The hill is the story.
Now it’s time to tell it again.
Arbeia Rising. Let’s put South Shields back on the map. ⚔️🏛️
