South Shields and Jarrow are vibrant towns in the North East of England, and they both contain fantastic history from before the Romans. On this tour, you’ll hear the storey of the Roman Fort of Arbeia – the supply base for Hadrian’s Wall – and the Anglo-Saxon storey of the North East through Jarrow Hall. At Arbeia, you’ll discover the stories of soldiers and civilians alike – with dedications to Middle-Eastern traders, slaves, and native Britons, all living together at this frontier.

At Jarrow Hall, you’ll explore the storey of the Germanic Anglo-Saxons through the museum dedicated to the Venerable Bede. Bede is arguably the greatest scholar of the Dark Ages, not only a monk, but also a teacher, scientist, and historian in a time most believe to be violent, uneducated, and unrecorded.

Both sites have fantastic reconstructions of buildings from their periods, including a Roman gatehouse, barracks block, and commanding officers’ house. At Jarrow Hall, the buildings are based upon archaeology from Yeavering, the historic capital of Anglo-Saxon Northumbria.