Condercum was the name of the Roman fort on the present-day location of the Condercum Estate in Benwell, a western suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne. It was the third fort on Hadrian’s Wall following Segedunum in Wallsend and Pons Aelius in Newcastle.

The fort was situated on a level hilltop and was likely built between AD 122 and AD 124 by soldiers from the Second Augustan Legion (Legio II Augusta). Estimates show that the fort likely measured 170 metres north to south by 120 metres east to west, and housed a garrison of about 500 cavalrymen and their horses. The fort contained a commandant’s house, headquarters, barracks, two granaries, workshops, stables, and a hospital.

The remains of the north section of the fort were destroyed by the building of a reservoir during the 19^th century. Despite being partially excavated, the south section of the fort was built over during the 1920s and 1930s. There are no visible signs of the fort remaining today.

The Vallum was a unique earthwork defence, unique to the Roman frontier. It ran from nearly coast to coast along the south of Hadrian’s Wall. It contained a ditch, about 6 metres wide and 3 metres deep. It was flanked by two mounds measuring about 6 metres wide and 2 metres wid, set back about 9 metres from the ditch edges.

At Condercum Fort, the Vallum lay to the south to protect the Wall from attacks and was built in about AD 130. The Vallum could only be crossed at forts. Condercum had a gate and a stone causeway which provided access between the Wall and Vallum. The outline of the stone causeway where the road from the south crossed the Vallum on its way to Condercum Fort survives today. It can be seen at Denhill Park, NE15 6QH.

About 60 metres to the east of the Fort, in the vicus, a civilian settlement beside the fort, stood a temple to the God Antenociticus. The temple was built in about AD 178-180.

Antenociticus was likely a local God adopted by the Romans once they arrived in Britain. Unusually, there is no mention of Antenociticus anywhere else in Britain or the Roman Empire. The temple was discovered and excavated in 1862.  During its excavation, it was found altars, the head of a statue of Antenociticus. It is thought that the temple was destroyed by fire during the 2^nd century.

The remains of the temple can be seen today in the Broomridge Avenue housing estate, NE15 6QP.