Scheduled monuments in County Durham

There are 292 scheduled monuments in County Durham, in North East England.[1] These protected sites date from the Neolithic period in some cases and include barrows, a medieval hospital, ancient Roman sites, castle ruins, Iron Age forts, bridges and Anglo-Saxon crosses.[2] In the United Kingdom, the scheduling of monuments was first initiated to ensure the preservation of "nationally important" archaeological sites or historic buildings. Protection is given to scheduled monuments under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.[3]

Notable scheduled monuments in County Durham

Image Name Location Date Notes
Barnard Castle The market town called Barnard Castle early 12th century AD In 1474, Richard, Duke of Gloucester (later Richard III became lord of the castle by right of his wife, Anne Neville. It was of his favourite residences.[4]
Binchester Roman Fort Bishop Auckland 79AD The fort was established to guard the crossing of the River Wear by Dere Street, the main Roman road between York, Hadrian's Wall and Scotland.[5]
Bowes Castle Bowes 12th century AD Built on the site of the former Roman fort of Lavatrae. Bowes is the first of three Norman castles on the Stainmore Pass.[6]
Causey Arch Stanley 1727 AD The oldest surviving single-arch railway bridge in the world.
Chester New Bridge Bournmoor A grade II listed[7] medieval stone bridge over the River Wear.
Concangis Chester-le-Street Much of the fort is beneath the town of Chester-le-Street so little remains to be seen except for a portion of the excavated officers’ quarters left on display.
Cotherstone Castle Cotherstone 1090 AD The remains include an earth mound, a ruined wall fragment and traces of a probable fishpond.
Dalden Tower Dalton-le-Dale 12th century AD A manor house built in the 12th century and later a pele tower added during the 16th century. Only ruins survive today.
Elvet Bridge Durham 1160 AD A medieval masonry arch bridge across the River Wear connecting The Bailey and Elvet.
Framwellgate Bridge Durham after 1400 AD A medieval masonry arch bridge across the River Wear.
Greta Bridge The hamlet called Greta Bridge 1773 AD The current bridge was built in 1773 to replace the one destroyed by the Great Flood of 1771.
Kepier Hospital Kepier 1112 AD Originally known as the Hospital of St Giles, established as an almshouse for old men in 1112 AD.[8]
Lavatrae Bowes early 70s AD Only earthworks and the parts of the stone walls of the bathhouse survive in the 21st century. The medieval Bowes Castle was built within the perimeter of the fort.
Legs Cross Bolam 9th century AD An Anglo-Saxon cross with interlaced patterning.
Longovicium Lanchester 2nd century AD Most of what is known about the site has been determined from studying the large number of altars, dedication slabs and a milestone dedicated to emperor Gordian III uncovered half a mile away from the fort.[9][10]
Ludworth Tower Ludworth 1411 AD A manor house and later pele tower. Only ruins survive today.
Maglona Greta Bridge between 1st century AD and 3rd century AD Built to protect the Watling Street crossing of the River Greta.
Maiden Castle Durham Iron Age Promontory fort with remains of earthworks, covering a 2-acre (0.81 ha) hill top site near Durham city centre.[11][12]
Maiden's Bower Durham Bronze Age A bronze age burial mound on which a cross once stood to commemorate the Battle of Neville's Cross.
Neville's Cross The suburb called Neville's Cross 1346 AD To commemorate the Battle of Neville's Cross Ralph Neville, 2nd Baron Neville de Raby erected a lavish monument to the south of the battlefield.
Prebends Bridge Durham 1772 AD Built in 1772 to replace a temporary bridge built after the footbridge built in 1574 was swept away in the Great Flood of 1771.
Rey Cross Stainmore Believed to have been ten feet tall, a long-held local legend states it was the burial place of Eric Bloodaxe, Viking Ruler of Northumbria However, Norman Davies posits that it was a "boundary stone . . . halfway between Penrith and Barnard Castle.".
Sunderland Bridge The village called Sunderland Bridge 14th century AD A grade I listed bridge which has undergone several rebuilds.

See also

References

  1. ^ "List Search for County Durham Scheduled monuments". Historic England. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Scheduled Ancient Monuments in the Historic County of Dorset". Ancient Monuments UK. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Scheduled Monuments". Historic England. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  4. ^ "The Castle, Barnard Castle, Durham". Historic England. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  5. ^ Historic England. "Binchester Roman fort (Vinovia) (1002362)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  6. ^ Historic England. "Bowes Castle (1002318)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  7. ^ Historic England. "Chester New Bridge (1002354)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 December 2025.
  8. ^ Historic England. "Kepier Hospital (1002360)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Longovicium (Lanchester) Vicus". Roman Britain. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  10. ^ Historic England. "Lanchester Roman Fort (Longovicium) (1002361)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  11. ^ Historic England. "Maiden Castle promontory fort (Grade Scheduled monument) (1008844)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
  12. ^ "Maiden Castle". Historic England Research Records. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
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