Viking hoard stays at home after appeal

And now the life savings of an affluent Norse warrior, which includes styles of jewellery which have never been seen before, will remain in Yorkshire after a major fundraising drive collected more than £50,000. The Bedale Hoard has been bought by the Yorkshire Museum in York after the public appeal raised £51,636.

The museum’s curator of archaeology, Natalie McCaul, said: “It is fantastic that the public and funders have helped us keep this spectacular hoard. We would like to thank them for their generosity. The hoard is an incredible and intriguing find and one that we can now carry out research on to hopefully shed new light on Viking life in this part of Yorkshire.”

The hoard was found on land near Bedale by metal detectorists in May 2012, and includes an inlaid gold sword pommel and a silver neck ring and neck collar, the likes of which have never been recorded. It was discovered in a part of Yorkshire which very little is known about in the Viking period, so the fact it exists sheds new light on the region from 1,000 years ago.

The appeal was launched in January and The Art Fund and the Victoria & Albert Purchase Grant Fund both contributed £11,000. The rest of the funds were raised from other funding bodies and the public.