THE Roman army was on the march again in the North-East at the weekend - but they came not to conquer as they did 1,900 years ago but to celebrate.
The occasion was the first birthday of the Segedunum Roman Fort, at South Shields, South Tyneside.
During the weekend, Roman soldiers in full battle armour gave visitors a demonstration of the might of the Roman army, and showed off their weapons and armour.
The performance was staged at the excavated fort by members of the Ermine Street Guard.
Since opening its gates a year ago, more than 65,000 visitors have enjoyed finding out about life in Roman Britain through interactive displays, which are combined with finds excavated from the Roman fort.
Segedunum fort spokesman Bill Griffiths said: "The Ermine Street Guard helped to launch Segedunum last year and they were a big hit with visitors.
"They are the best Roman legionary re-enactment group people can see. They really do show why the Roman army was so successful and how they easily conquered Europe."
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