In 1831 the Rev. Anthony Hedley, Vindolanda first excavator, built Chesterholm in the valley below the Vindolanda site as a beautiful home for his family. In 1974 the buildings and garden were purchased to house the ever growing Vindolanda collection and become its research base, and since then, numerous extensions have been built.

The Museum displays change each year as new and exciting artefacts are put on display, but these are just a few of the highlights.

The world famous Vindolanda writing tablets, voted number one by the BBC-TV programme 'Our Top Ten Treasures' in 2003, rightly dominate one room. They are the only finds to leave Vindolanda and are housed in the British Museum. But there are always a few on display while they are undergoing research and photography. Visitors can see a display of infrared photographs of the most interesting tablets. They have to be photographed in this manner in order to read the writing. The tablets date to around AD 90 to the 120's and many of them lay in or near the residence of Flavius Cerialis, prefect of the Ninth Cohort of Batavians. As a collection they form the earliest written records from Britain and include stores lists, duty rotas, request for leave, duty officer reports and even a regimental strength report. But probably the most well known tablet is the birthday party invitation from Claudia Severa to Sulpicia Lepidina asking her to be present at her party on September 11th " to make her day more enjoyable". Claudia Severa added her own greeting at the bottom of the letter and it is the earliest surviving writing between two women in Western Europe.

The Vindolanda leather collection is already the largest of Roman leather anywhere in the empire and it is growing at a startling rate each year. The collection is dominated by footwear - boots, shoes, sandals, slippers, bath clogs of varying different sizes and types, some of which are clearly women and children. There is also the Roman ceremonial horse chamfron and numerous other leather goods including buckets, bags, purses and an archer's thumb guard.

The wooden objects are also very rare and special and include massive building timbers, water pipes and wagon axles, as well as pine barrel staves, storage boxes, parts of furniture, tent pegs and hair combs.

The textiles, represent the remains of one of the great industries of ancient times, and are very rarely encountered in Western Europe. Some 750 pieces have been found so far, but only one complete item was amongst them - a child's sock.

As well as the above there are wonderful small finds, including beautiful bronzes, jewellery, pottery, weapons, basketry, inscribed stones and animal bone. Every year the collection grows as the archaeologists keep excavating. We change the displays to incorporate the new artefacts as often as possible.