It takes a little imagination to find the Roman frontier in Benwell, a suburb on the western hill of Newcastle, but it is there, tucked between semi-detached houses and bus stops. Wall mile 7 counts the distance from the Wall's eastern end at Wallsend, and in this part of the city the Romans built a fort called Condercum on the high ground above the Tyne, with fine views up and down the river. Most of it now lies under roads and housing, yet two small survivals make the detour worthwhile.
The first is the vallum crossing on Denhill Park, the only place along the whole frontier where you can still see a stone causeway carrying a road across the vallum ditch, with the remains of a gateway that controlled traffic into the military zone. The second, a few minutes away, is the little temple of Antenociticus, a local god known only from here, its foundations and replica altars sitting in a garden plot surrounded by modern homes. The juxtaposition is wonderful: Roman soldiers made offerings on this spot, and now people walk their dogs past it.
Riding in this corner of Tyneside is urban riding, honestly described. The West Road, which follows the line of the Wall out of the city centre, is busy, stop-start and lined with shops, buses and speed cameras. The appeal is in what comes next: within twenty minutes heading west you are out past the ring road, the houses fall away and the B6318 Military Road begins its long roll towards the Pennines. Benwell makes a good first or last Roman stop on a Wall ride, a reminder that the frontier ran right through what became a great industrial city.
Fuel, food and everything else are close at hand, with supermarkets and filling stations along the main roads. Newcastle itself is worth an evening for the Tyne bridges, the Quayside and the Great North Museum, which holds many of the finds from along the Wall, including inscriptions and altars that make the bare stones on the ground suddenly speak. Park thoughtfully in the residential streets and keep an eye on your bike; it is a city, after all.