The causeway across the vallum was located in 1932, excavated in 1933 by the North of England Committee and its examination and preservation completed in 1938. It was preserved and left on display {1}. It had vertical sides of dressed ashlar and was spanned by an arched gateway with double doors to bar wheeled traffic coming from the south. The vallum was infilled during the Severan restoration of the Wall and buildings were erected over it (see SMR 5262) but the gateway was maintained in working order throughout the remainder of the Roman period. Six periods of road are known. The first is Hadrianic, together with the gate. Pivot stones were discovered in this layer and the fifth layer only. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the doors were removed under Lollius Urbicus, later to be refurbished in the fifth period to fortify what remained of the stone-built vicus built on the vallum. The obliteration of the vallum had at first made such gates obsolete {2}. The vallum took an asymmetrical diversion round the fort. Opposite the south gate the mounds were broken by gaps and a causeway crossed the ditch. The causeway is revetted on both sides and supported a monumental gateway larger and wider than a fort gate, 3.56m wide. The gate was closed from the north - meaning that access to the area between Wall and Vallum was controlled from the fort. The dressed stones on the west side are amongst the best Hadrianic dressed stonework on the Wall. The road over the causeway was resurfaced three times. There is a secondary pivot stone from the west side of the gate. A culvert runs through the causeway. The ditch on either side of the causeway was filled with clay in the late second century, over which a stone building was erected to the east of the gate. Over buildings followed, being erected over the infilled ditch to the east and west of the causeway. Pottery indicates that the buildings were occupied into the third century. After excavation the Vallum was backfilled to half its original depth {Breeze 2006}. Dated C2.

This lay circa 274m south-west of the fort on the slope towards the river. A large dressing room was later added to the original scheme. In 1751-2 the second Robert Shafto of Benwell drew plans of the fort (the platform still stood at that time) and the large bath-house. The plan is reproduced in Brand, 1789, I, p607. The precise location of the bath-house has never been ascertained. The building measured c.25m x 31m. There were other extra-mural buildings in the vicinity {1}. A drain was traced through the south east corner of the fort southwards for about 60m in 1926. Walls of stone buildings were recorded there. Shafto's plan shows a large changing room and two rows of rooms forming the steam range. A regular Hadrianic plan. Dated C2-C3.

The precise extent of the vicus is not known, but it appears to have been a very large settlement, gathered around the road leading south from the fort. The bath house (SMR 5263) was circa 274 metres south-west of the fort, the temple of Antenociticus (SMR 5265) and associated burials circa 91.5 metres east. There may have been another temple in the vicinity of Condercum House, as indicated by a column shaft and 3 pieces of sculpture (or alternatively these may have merely been brought in to ornament the grounds of the house). A tombstone was found circa 500 yards (circa 458m) east of the fort, suggesting that this area included a cemetery. Pottery has been found as far as 450m from the southern defences. It seems unlikely that the vicus spread far to the west of the fort as trial trenching at Pendower Hall in 1977 and 2001 found no evidence of Roman activity. It is therefore possible that a very large vicus lay to the south and south-west of the fort. The vicus probably originated in timber under Severus, and was rebuilt in stone in the early C3. The southward road was lined with buildings north and south of the vallum, including a mansio (SMR 5264) {1}. Excavations in the 1930s showed that the development of the vicus can be divided into 3 phases. Phase 1 - the vallum was infilled in the Severan period and a timber building was constructed east of the road, overlapping the north lip of the vallum ditch. A similar structure may have existed on the opposite side of the road. These structures subsided into the ditch and were destroyed by fire. Phase 2 - the subsided ruins of these buildings were levelled with rubbish and a number of stone houses and shops were built within the first half of the C3. Excavations revealed a strip-house with flagged floor and hearths, associated with C3 pottery and sealed by a layer of burning. To the south of this was another burnt building. Another stone strip-house was found in 1938 overlying the south lip of the vallum. It had double doors onto the road, perhaps a shop front. Fragments of querns were found in this structure. To the north of this, and west of the road, was a building with an oven and clay floor. A building was found with flagged floor and a possible kiln. Phase 3 - the burnt strip-house was rebuilt and the stone strip-house modified. The precise date of this phase is unknown, but C4 pottery up to 367 is known from the site. The vallum causeway and gate were later refurbished probably in order to fortify what remained of the substantial stone-built vicus which had grown up in place of the vallum.
Excavation at Sunnybank Avenue in 2013 revealed ditches and pits cut into the subsoil thought to be enclosures situated on the periphery of the Vicus {25}. An evaluation at the Trinity School (Oakfield College site) in 2009 recorded a substantial linear NE-SW aligned ditch which yielded a sherd of Samian pottery and a fragment of possible Roman building material. The dimensions of the ditch, up to 0.4m wide, suggest a defensive function rather than a drain. It is possible that this feature defined the eastern limit of the Vicus to Condercum fort. A NW-SE aligned linear feature, possibly another Roman ditch was also recorded. Gullies and pits identified as part of the Vicus were identified in 2016 at Pendower Hall.
Excavations between Dorcas Avenue and Sunnybank Avenue by Wallquest in 2013 and by The Archaeological Practice in 2015 revealed further evidence of Roman activity in the form of gullies. A strip, map and record exercise was undertaken in 2017-2018 at Dorcas Avenue ahead of development. Surface stripping in the south part of the site revealed a row of open-fronted buildings, with drains running through them from north-south, extending from the western boundary eastwards. At the east end of this row of buildings was a substantial building, interpreted as a possible warehouse, built askew to the others, and probably aligned roughly north-south, parallel and relatively close to the projected line of the south road from the fort. Beyond this were a series of similarly orientated but much later stone walls, belonging to a building of 18th or early 19th-century origin, which occupied the remainder of the site to the east and was probably associated with local colliery workings of post-medieval or, perhaps, Roman origin. Dated C2-C3.

The house was built by John Dobson in 1817 for Captain Dutton. The grounds were circa 21 acres, extensively landscaped and orientated south. There was a lodge on Sandyford Road, overlooking wide curved lawns edged with woodland. There were glasshouses to the north-west and two pineries and vinery sheds, with a chimney in the woodland behind. East of the house was a vast walled garden with a cistern at its centre. Further east there was a melon ground. There was a fish pond and fishing house. Villa Real is now a convent and the grounds have been reduced by housing. Gardens on the south and west side remain {1}.

A plan of Little Benton (not to be confused with Little Benton Farm, SMR 1594) was produced by John Dobson in 1813 for William Clark. To the north of the house was a plantation with a ride along the boundary. To the south there was a gap in the planting revealing a circular grove of trees in the distance. It had an enormous walled garden. By 1896 the house was renamed Benton Park and Benton Hall had been built next door. The small pond was enlarged into a lake with islands. A turning circle was built north of the house. A terrace and steps down to lawns were added to the south. Site now built over {1}.

In the second half of 19th century a surburban development of substantial villas (mostly for wealthy industrialists) appeared in Low Fell. These villas were set in large grounds. The most elaborate gardens were at Saltwell Towers (see SMR 5004), Whinney House (SMR 5236) and Heathfield House. The Heathfield gardens were developed by German brothers called Lange. The most notable feature was a circular lake with an island in the centre on which sttod a glass pagoda. A conservatory was built over the dene. An artificial hill was surmounted by a metal eagle. A proposal in 1896 to include Heathfield as an extension to Saltwell Park never happened. The garden was eventually built on for Heathfield School. The house survives, as do the gate piers topped by carved stone lions {1}.

At Howdon no more than two salt pans are ever mentioned, but there may have been more. A will dated 1788 seems to imply that there was a group known as Howdon Pans. The pans were situated on low, flat land which had been reclaimed from the river.

The house (listed Grade II, now a college building) was built for Edward Backhouse (Quaker in a family of bankers and great nurserymen in York). A description of the house was written in The Journal of Horticulture in 1878. Typical villa garden of the time. The drive approached the house from the north and was ornamented by rhododendrons in tubs. There were good specimens of beech, elm, sycamore and Turkey oak. A terraced border in front of the house was divided by diamond shaped beds. Borders at the west end of the house were planted with perennials and the centre bed was a star set in a circle with a central Echeveria retusa (succulent from America). The conservatory was a significant feature, laid with Minton tiles. A walk to the pleasure garden led past an elaborate octagonal summerhouse overlooking trees and shrubs, chestnuts, purple beeches, rhododendrons, oaks etc. The kitchen garden was a revelation with a series of glasshouses containing vines. Azaleas in another glasshouse were protected from strong sunlight by a canvas shade. Much of the land was absorbed into Backhouse Park where little remains of the original garden apart from the fountain filled with plants. William Backhouse (1807-69) bred narcissi at St. John's Hall, Wolsingham in Weardale and made important developments in the breeding of daffodils {1}.

In 1878 Elswick Hall (SMR 1864) was purchased by the Corporation to display sculpture by John Graham Lough and Matthew Noble. Mr. A.M. Fowler laid out an ornamental lake, croquet lawn, walks, lodges and other features. In 1981 a swimming pool was built in the park {1}. Tomlinson said that this park had much larger and older trees than Leazes Park. It had a lake, bowling green, rockery, a terrace in front of the aviaries, with a fine granite drinking fountain erected by subscription in 1881, in recognition of Joseph Cowen, Thomas Forster, Thomas Gray, T. Hodgkin, William Smith and William H. Stephenson, who had been instrumental in procuring the park for the people of Newcastle.

In May 1923 the park was opened on land given by Alderman Readhead as a War Memorial in thanksgiving for peace {1}. The park was opened on 18th May 1923 by Alderman Robert Readhead. In the south-west corner of the park there is a concrete memorial 3 feet high with a copper scroll-like plaque "COUNTY BOROUGH OF SOUTH SHIELDS ROBERT REDHEAD PARK. THIS PARK WAS PRESENTED BY ALDERMAN ROBERT REDHEAD J.P. TO THE TOWN COUNCIL OF SOUTH SHIELDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF PUBLIC PLEASURE GROUNDS BY DEED OF GIFT DATED 20TH APRIL 1923. OPENED TO THE PUBLIC ON THE 3RD MAY 1923 BY ROBERT READHEAD ESQ M.A. (OXON) (SON OF THE DONOR), EDWARD SMITH, MAYOR, JOHN LAWSON, CHAIRMAN OF PARKS AND CEMETERIES COMMITTEE". A condition of the gift was that unemployed ex-servicemen were given work on the adjoining roadworks.