Binchester and Escomb, County Durham

Two Historic Sites from Distinct Periods, yet Intimately Linked

Jul 21, 2008 Anthony Toole

Less than two miles north of Bishop Auckland stands a relic of the early Roman occupation of Britain. A similar distance to the west is one that dates from Saxon times

Binchester Roman Fort

The Roman Dere Street linked the settlement in York with the Firth of Forth, in Scotland. It later became the main supply line for Hadrian’s Wall. Binchester Fort was established in 79 AD to guard the crossing point of the River Wear. It was occupied for 400 years and became the largest Roman settlement in County Durham, housing as many as 1000 soldiers of the Sixth Legion. These came mainly from Holland, Spain and North Africa.

Late 19th century archeological excavations uncovered the Commandant’s House and Headquarters, and the Bath House. The latter is quite remarkable, and retains the original hypocaust, which heated the rooms. The floors, of Roman concrete, still stand on their pillars, and it is possible to discern footprints made in wet concrete some 1700 years ago.

The majority of Roman sites in Britain have been reconstructed in the presumed manner of their original plans. The Bath House at Binchester is virtually as the Romans left it.

Aerial surveys have revealed the true extent of the fort, which occupied the surrounding field. Remains of barrack blocks and granaries lie buried beneath two metres of soil and are yet to be excavated.

Outside the walls, which were up to 4 metres high, a substantial town grew up. Following the collapse of Rome, the Britons, and later the Saxons occupied the buildings, which over the centuries, they dismantled to construct their own homes. Only a single illustrated stone remains at Binchester. This can be seen at a corner of the Bath House, and depicts an animal, referred to as the beast of Binchester. Many of the other decorated stones are to be found in the walls of the church at Escomb, two miles away

Escomb Saxon Church

Little is known about the origins of Escomb Church, though the estimated date of its construction is around 670-700 AD. This would make it the oldest Saxon Church still in continuous use in England. Several aspects of its architecture, however, suggest that it was built in the earlier Celtic style.

The circular walled graveyard, and crosses carved into the stones of the church are similar to those of Celtic churches found in Jarrow and Monkwearmouth. The proportions of the floor and the height of the inward-slanting walls are also of Celtic pattern.

The most striking aspect of Escomb Church is that it was constructed from stone removed from Binchester Fort. Several stones show a cross-hatching that is a Roman feature. To the left of a window in the north wall is a Latin inscription, while a stone in the outside north wall carries the name of the Sixth Legion. The arch leading to the sanctuary was transferred here from Binchester and reconstructed without alteration.

The church has probably survived because it is stone-built, whereas most of its contemporary churches were made of wood. Glass shards, dating from 730 AD were found in the churchyard, though Bede, who died in 735 AD, does not refer to it. Indeed, the earliest mention of Escomb Church is in 990 AD, when it was part of the Durham Diocese.

The church should have disappeared in 1865, when an increased population necessitated the building of a larger place of worship. The later building has not survived, while the original chapel still holds regular Sunday services.

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