Newport Arch

Newport Arch is the most famous of all the Roman monuments in Lincoln. It is the only Roman gate in Britain to be open to traffic,acting as a gateway to the historic core of the city,as it has done for nearly 2000 yeras. This north gate to the city was built in the early 3rd century and spanned Ermine Street,the colonia`s most important throughfare.It was also the main London to York road. In the 4th century,the colonia`s defensive walls and gates were massively strengthened,in line with its staus as a new provincial capital and centre of Roman civilisation.At its grandest,the north gate consisited of a central carriageway with pedestrian arches to either side,toped by an upper storey and flanked by tall semi-circular towers. What is visable above ground today is only the top section of the inner wall central arch.The outer wall was demolished in 1700`s.In Roman times the gate would have stood some 8m above ground. In 1964,the Newport Arch was almost 2000 yeras old.A lorry thats was too tall tried to drive throught it and knocked some of the stones down.Fortunately the damage was repairable.

THE NEWPORT COTTAGE WALL

The fragment of wall in the garden of Newport Cottage was part of the nothern defences of the colonia, immedialtely to the east of the garte tower of Newport Arch. Only 1.25 metres(4 feet) is visible above the current ground level, but would have originally stood about 6 metres (20 feet) high. This wall dates from the strengthening of the city`s defences in the 4th century, carried out more likely as a means of enhancing the city`s new capital status than to protect it from attack. Just along East Bight, you can see the remains of one of the towers along this northern lenght of the wall.