The John Clayton collection.

Few people today have heard of John Clayton yet he is one of the single most important individuals in the history of Hadrian’s Wall

In the early 19th century John Clayton lived at Chesters House in the parkland surrounding the Roman fort and from an early age became fascinated by the Roman relics that surrounded him.

By the 1830s he began buying land to preserve the Wall, this was at a time when - what is now a World Heritage Site - was little understood and being unthinkingly vandalised by quarrying and removal of stones for reuse. He even had some restoration work carried out on parts of the wall.

Chester's and the Clayton Collection offer one of the principle insights into Britain’s northern Roman frontier, especially through the inscriptions and sculpture.”