Pons Aelius

The Swing Bridge, Newcastle

Pons Aelius originally referred to the Roman bridge over the Tyne, meaning the Bridge of Aelius (the family name of the emperor Hadrian). The name later became associated with the foman fort on the site of the present castle and later to the whole town of what is now Newcastle. I made this etching for the Northern Print, Hadrian’s Wall 1900 Project. Sixty printmakers at Northern Print and two other studios were invited to make prints representing sections of the Hadrian's Wall which were brought together for an exhibition as part of the 1900th anniversary of the wall. My etching represents what was originally the location of the eastern end of the wall in the centre of Newcastle, though the wall was soon extended to Segedunum further to the east.

#hw1900np

price (unframed): £85

brass plate aquatint etching
plate made June 2022
edition of 60
plate size 210x300mm
mounted/trimmed to fit frame 12x16 inches

plate no. 123