Chesters is a 17th century country mansion situated adjacent to Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...

 and the Roman fort

Castra

The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...

 of Cilurnum

Cilurnum

Cilurnum or Cilurvum was a fort on Hadrian's Wall mentioned in the Notitia Dignitatum. It is now identified with the fort found at Chesters near the village of Walwick, Northumberland, England...

 at Humshaugh

Humshaugh

Humshaugh is a parish in Northumberland, England. This small village is just north of Chollerford, which is located near Chesters Fort on Hadrian's Wall and is about 21 miles west of Newcastle upon Tyne. The village of Humshaugh lies just off the military road running from Newcastle to Carlisle...

, Northumberland

Northumberland

Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. It is a Grade II* listed building.

The house was built for John Errington of Walwick Grange

Walwick Grange

Walwick Grange is a privately owned 18th century country house situated on the bank of the River North Tyne close to Hadrians Wall at Warden, Northumberland. It is a Grade II* listed building....

 in about 1771 with three storeys and four bays but was much improved and extended by architect Norman Shaw

Richard Norman Shaw

Richard Norman Shaw RA , was an influential Scottish architect from the 1870s to the 1900s, known for his country houses and for commercial buildings.-Life:...

 in 1891. The 1891 work included five two storeyed three bay wings and a stable block (also Grade II* listed)

The estate was acquired by Nathaniel Clayton (Town Clerk of Newcastle upon Tyne 1785-1822) in 1796. His son John Clayton

John Clayton (Newcastle)

John Clayton was an antiquarian and town clerk of Newcastle upon Tyne, England during the nineteenth century. He worked with the builder Richard Grainger and architect John Dobson to redevelop the centre of the city in a neoclassical style, and Clayton Street in Newcastle is named after him...

 who succeeded him as Town Clerk in 1822 was a keen antiquarian

Antiquarian

An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...

and excavated the ruins of the Roman fort Cilurnam adjacent to the house. He made a large collection of Roman artefacts which is now displayed at Chesters Museum.