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One of the most important Roman sites in Britain - dubbed the Pompeii of the North - has been saved after being sold in a £2 million deal.

The Auckland Castle Trust bought the Roman Town in Binchester, which hit headlines in the summer after a treasure trove of 1,800-year-old remains and jewellery were uncovered there by archaeologists.

Fears had been growing that the site was going to be split after the Church Commissioners who own the land put it up for sale over two separate lots.

The Auckland Castle Trust bought the Roman Town in Binchester, (pictured). The site hit headlines in the summer after a treasure trove of 1,800-year-old remains and jewellery were uncovered there by archaeologists. Fears had been growing that the site was going to be split and sold off to developers 

If the sites had each fallen into separate hands, it would have made public access to, and academic research on, the historical attraction more difficult.

But after originally rejecting the £2 million bid, the Church Commissioners have now accepted the offer for the fort, situated on the banks of the River Tyne.

The good news comes following a campaign launched last month by the Trust.

More than 4,000 people signed it in an attempt to save the famous site and urge the Church Commissioners not to sell the Binchester plots to separate buyers.

Dr Chris Ferguson, head curator at Auckland Castle said: 'This is wonderful news and we are delighted that Binchester will now be protected for future generations.

'Contracts still have to be exchanged, but the Auckland Castle Trust has successfully come through the tender process as the preferred bidder and now we can start to look to the future of this vitally important site and ensure its past and status as one of not just Britain's but Europe's most important Roman sites is secured.

'Here at Auckland Castle we have been thrilled by the goodwill and support we have received from so many people as we strove to raise awareness about Binchester and our bid to save it for the nation.'

He added: 'Our first priorities are to secure the site for the winter, work with Durham County Council and English Heritage to help shape Binchester's future and to start pulling together plans to ensure the Roman remains continue to be available for archaeologists and the public to enjoy for generations to come. 

The discoveries at Binchester Roman Fort near Bishop Auckland, made in July, date back 1,800 years and include a silver ring - said to be one of the earliest pieces of evidence for Christianity in Roman Britain. 

Archaeologists also discovered a bath house with seven-foot high walls, once covered with brightly-painted designs and have dubbed the region 'Pompeii of the north.'

The bath house was also found with the original floor, doorways and window openings.

Elsewhere on the site, an inscribed altar dedicated to the Roman Goddess Fortune the Home-bringer, was unearthed.

'These findings are hugely significant as they are virtually intact and present a graphic illustration of life under the Roman Empire,' said Dr David Mason, principal archaeologist for Durham County Council at the time.  

Buried on the site of a Roman fort in County Durham, archaeologists made a series of well-preserved and extraordinary finds. The discoveries date back 1,800 years and include one of the earliest pieces of evidence for Christianity in Roman Britain in the shape of a silver ring (pictured)

The many finds at the site also include this small carnelian intaglio, which is thought to have been worn as jewellery. More than 4,000 people signed a petition to save the famous site and urge owners, the Church Commissioners not to sell the Binchester plots to separate buyers

'They are so stunning and spectacular that we can claim we have our very own "Pompeii of the North" right on our doorstep.'

A joint project to explore the site between the county council, Durham University, local enthusiasts and American university students, is now in its sixth year.

Last year Alex Kirton, 20, from Hertfordshire, discovered a carved sandstone head at Binchester, which was believed to be a Roman god that was worshipped locally.

Archaeologists also discovered a bath house (pictured) with seven-foot high walls, once covered with brightly-painted designs. The experts have dubbed the finds the 'Pompeii of the north.' The bath house was found with the original floor, doorways and window openings

The site of Binchester Roman Fort is near Bishop Auckland in County Durham (marked). Binchester, which stands near the River Wear, was known to the Romans as Vinovia and commanded the main road that ran from the legionary headquarters at York north to Hadrian's Wall

Project coordinator, Dr David Petts, lecturer in archaeology at Durham University, said: 'Our excavations have uncovered parts of one of the best preserved Roman buildings in Britain.

'The building itself and the wonderful array of artefacts we have recovered from Binchester give us an unparalleled opportunity to better understand life on the northern frontier in the Roman period.

'For example, the altar is a reminder that bath houses were about more than keeping clean and exercising and were actually social centres - a bit like our modern day leisure centres.

Symbol of Christianity? The silver ring is inset with an intaglio, a carving into a flat surface. It appears to show two fish suspended from an anchor, at the time a symbol of Christianity. Archaeologists believe the ring is from the 3rd century AD. If it is a Christian symbol, it would the oldest Christian object in Britain

This ornate coin is one of many found at the site and shows the technology the Romans brought to Britain

This piece of ceramics contains the image of a face and is thought to date back later than the 4th century AD 

'The most unique feature of these remains is the sheer scale of their preservation.

'It is possible to walk through a series of Roman rooms with walls all above head height; this is pretty exceptional for Roman Britain.'

The altar was inscribed by a retired trooper who served with a unit of the Spanish cavalry based at Binchester.

The trooper described his rank as 'architectus' and this is the only example, outside of Rome, which shows architects were on the staff of auxiliary cavalry units and not just the legions of the Emperor's personal protection unit, the Praetorian Guard.

Binchester, which stands near the River Wear, was known to the Romans as Vinovia and commanded the main road that ran from the legionary headquarters at York north to Hadrian's Wall.

It formed a key element of the complex frontier system that lay both sides of the Wall which marked the northern-most edge of the Roman Empire for nearly 400 years.

Elsewhere on the site, an inscribed altar (pictured left) dedicated to the Roman Goddess Fortune the Home-bringer (illustration pictured right), was also unearthed. The altar has been inscribed by a retired trooper who served with a unit of the Spanish cavalry based at Binchester who described his rank as 'architectus'

This stone fragment from the fort still bares the paint used to decorate the walls of rooms inside the building

This image shows the bath house from above. The altar found on the site reveals that bath houses were about more than keeping clean and exercising, and were actually social centres - a bit like modern-day leisure centres

Archaeologists have also found a number of items made out of bronze, copper and bone, such as this pin

The findings are so preserved and significant, principal archaeologist Dr David Mason said: '[They] present a graphic illustration of life under the Roman Empire. They are so stunning we can claim we have our very own "Pompeii of the north" right on our doorstep.' The archaeological site of Pompeii in Italy is pictured