Official Website of Hadrian's Wall Country

Bringing on the Cavalry was a speciality at Chesters, the best-preserved Roman Cavalry Fort in Britain. The fort was built to guard the bridge that carried the Wall over the river Tyne (only the abutments remain now) and was home to 600 Cavalry troops (latterly from Asturias in northern Spain).

The entire layout of the fort is here to be explored - including fab Baths (they must have been cleaner, and more healthy,  than the ‘barbarians’). The changing rooms, steam rooms and bathing areas are all here. When the Romans started putting these in then you just knew that they were here to stay. Oils made them clean and board games (Roman Monopoly, perhaps – was winning a dead cert if you had all the forts across the northern frontier?) passed the time. And then, back to reality.

And the reality has four well-preserved gateways with short lengths of the Wall itself adjoining them. Three out of the four gateways face the north; the Romans believed in facing their enemy. The entire foundations of the headquarters building are visible, with a courtyard, hall, regimental temple and strongroom laid out. The clerks’ rooms are particularly well-preserved and you can see where the unit’s shrine would have been. The emperor of the day would have had his statue there so there was no chance of forgetting who was in charge. Naturally, the Commanding Officer’s House is the most luxurious building and it has its own bathhouse so that he didn’t have to mix with the hoi polloi.

Chesters lies in the Clayton family parkland laid out in the 19th century. The antiquarian John Clayton amassed a glorious collection of Roman finds including important archaeological discoveries relating to the central section of the Wall. His collection, which was sourced from a number of different sites, can be seen in the museum and includes inscribed stones, sculptures and poignant personal possessions such as an amazingly preserved arm purse. Sometimes it’s those little things that really catch your imagination, isn’t it?