The Clayton Collection, which is owned by trustees and loaned to
English Heritage, has 5,500 catalogued items from a variety of
sites along the central section of the Wall. © Trustees of the
Clayton Collection The Clayton Collection - The Curator's Choice
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. Were it not for this remarkbale Victorian gentleman
collector and archaeologist large parts of Hadrian’s Wall would
have disappeared as the industrial revolution fuelled the need
for stone to build factories and mills. Now his collection,
which resides at Chesters Roman Fort Museum - adjacent to the
remains of the fort, has been re-displayed in a revamped space.
The Clayton Collection has 5,500 catalogued items from a variety
of sites along the central section of the wall. Below, Chesters
Fort Museum curator, Georgina Plowright, explains why these are
her favourite seven objects from the collection: John Clayton. ©
Trustees of