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Wallsend Roman fort 8.8ft centurion sculpture revealed

Segedunum Roman Fort Sentius TectonicusSegedunum Roman Fort
The structure is made of almost 600 components

A sculpture of a Roman centurion has been unveiled at museum on North Tyneside.

Based at Segedunum in Wallsend, the 8ft 8in-tall figure was made from three tonnes of Corten steel, the same material used to construct the Angel of the North.

Named Sentius Tectonicus, it marks the end 73-mile (117km) Hadrian's Wall which stretches to Cumbria.

It was constructed by artist John O'Rourke for North Tyneside Council.

The soldier's name comes from an inscription recovered close to Segedunum which revealed that a centurion named Sentius supervised the building of a section of the wall.

The structure has an opening at the bottom, with ladders ascending throughout four levels.

Mr O'Rourke said: "Wallsend's more recent history revolved around the shipbuilding industry.

"Making a figure which adopted industrial materials and fabrication methods ensures that the work's structural and material substance forge those links."

Segedunum Roman Fort structureSegedunum Roman Fort
The soldier is made of steel in a bid to link it to the region's industrial, shipbuilding past