Welshpool man’s ‘treasure’ find dates back 3,000 years

An unnamed Welshpool metal detectorist unearthed a set of tools that appear to have been ‘gifted to the land’ in Shropshire almost 3,000 years ago, it has been revealed.

The man was with a colleague from Chester carrying out an organised search of land near Baschurch when they came across the three bronze age tools, with two of them similar to those discovered at local hill forts at the Breidden and Guilsfield.

The two axes and a gouging tool were declared as a treasure by the senior coroner for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, Mr John Ellery, last month who said that because of their significance, the exact site of the find was not being made public.

The British Museum reported to the hearing that the hoard was typical of small, late Bronze Age, mixed tool assemblage found in Shropshire and the Marches area.

The hearing was told that the tools would have probably been buried deliberately by their users as a gift to the land between 750BC-950 BC.

Speaking after the items were declared as a treasure, the landowner, who has not been named to keep the site under wraps, said: “You never think that something like this is going to be discovered on your doorstep.”

Peter Reavill, finds liaison officer for Shropshire and Herefordshire, said the tools are made of copper alloy (bronze) and “each is in remarkable condition for their age”.

He believes the tools would have been used for specialist jobs like canoe/boat and furniture building. 

The coroner said that the Shropshire Museum Service was interested in acquiring the items so that they could be retained in the county.