[Area NZ 05116188] Little is known of the ancient bridge which was halfway between the castle of Bywell and the modern bridge. '..beneath the castle there is a very goodly weare; and two solid piles of most firme stone, stand up in the midst of the river'. (a)
On two piers there are no springers, therefore the superstructure must have been of wood. (b)
The piers were blown up by gunpowder on August 10th, 1836 (c). They stood near the dam which was taken down in July 1862. (1)

[Approx NZ 050618] '2 Pillars of an Old Bridge'. (2)

'It is though to have been of wood although Leland, in the 16th century gives the impression that it had an arch'. (3)

[NZ 05106188] There are now no traces of the bridge. There is no local knowledge of the exact site, but a print of 1834 in the Vestry of St Peter's Church, Bywell, shows two stone piers of an old bridge, without any evidence of springers, standing off the south bank of the River Tyne, at approximately halfway between Bywell Castle and the modern bridge. The banks of the river were perambulated but no traces of approach roads can be identified. (4)

Evidence of a Roman bridge at Bywell. Drawing of c.1750 shows two ancient piers in the river, blown up in 1836. In 1984, during drought conditions many stones seen on river bed with lewis-holes and Roman-type feathered toolmarks. (5)

NZ 051619. Site of Roman bridge at Bywell. Lies on route of proto-Dere Street. (6)

This record includes National Record of the Historic Environment Information provided by Historic England on 4 January 2021 licensed under the Open Government Licence [www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/]