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Melsonby Hoard saved for the UK thanks to National Heritage Memorial Fund and public support

DATE: 29 July 2025

Melsonby Hoard saved for the UK thanks to National Heritage Memorial Fund and public support.

The Yorkshire Museum is delighted to announce that it has received £192,096 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund alongside support from public fundraising to acquire the Melsonby Hoard for future generations.

Discovered by a metal detectorist in 2021 near the village of Melsonby, North Yorkshire, the Melsonby Hoard is a collection of over 800 Iron Age artefacts dating back 2,000 years. It is a ground-breaking discovery for Iron Age research with objects such as chariot wheels, cauldrons, horse bridles and ceremonial spears. The quantity and variety of objects are unusual and have important implications for reassessing our understanding of Iron Age life in the north of England.

The hoard was found by a metal-detectorist and then excavated by a team of archaeologists from Durham University who stabilised and began researching this extraordinary find with financial support of over £120,000 from Historic England and expert advice from the British Museum. The find was reported under the Treasure Act 1996, administered by the Treasure Registry at the British Museum on behalf of the Department for Culture Media and Sport, and recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

Thanks to the collective hard work of these organisations, alongside this generous support from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, £54,000 in donations from the public via the online crowdfunder and a further £20,000 in other donations, the purchase of the hoard has been secured for the Yorkshire Museum. Here, further research, conservation and analytical work will be carried out to learn more about its fascinating contents and ensure its long-term preservation. It will also become an important part of the Yorkshire Museum’s public programme, sharing the discovery with the museum’s visitors.

The Yorkshire Museum will be continuing its fundraising efforts to support the next steps for the hoard; conservation, display and research. Conservation will be undertaken to stabilise objects and prepare them for display. The Yorkshire Museum will work in partnership to undertake detailed research into the objects, their context and their significance for understanding life in the Iron Age.

The National Heritage Memorial Fund exists as a fund of last resort to support the acquisition, preservation and maintenance of the UK’s most outstanding heritage to create a publicly accessible and timeless collection as a memorial for those who have given their lives for the UK.

Kathryn Blacker, Chief Executive of York Museums Trust said: “The Melsonby Hoard is a significant piece of Yorkshire’s history and York Museums Trust are delighted to have secured the funding to acquire the hoard for the nation. Thanks to the incredible support of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, as well as generous donations from members of the public, the hoard will remain here in Yorkshire, to be made available for everyone to see and to enjoy. We remain committed to researching and conserving these unprecedented finds to improve our understanding of our shared past and securing them for future generations.”

Simon Thurley, Chair of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, said: “The Melsonby Hoard throws bright new light on Iron Age life in Yorkshire and beyond. We are pleased to support this acquisition which will keep the hoard intact, in the county in which it was buried and enable research to take place to gain a deeper insight into its origin and history.

“The Memorial Fund exists to save the UK’s most outstanding heritage and make it publicly accessible, in memory of those who have given their lives for the UK. We are delighted to count the Melsonby Hoard as part of the growing and timeless collection of UK heritage that belongs to all of us forever.”

Dr Andrew Woods, Head of Research and Collections at York Museums Trust, said: “The support from the public, other heritage organisations and the National Heritage Memorial Fund means the Melsonby Hoard remains in Yorkshire for the public. This is only the beginning of the story, next the Yorkshire Museum will work in partnership to undertake a careful programme of conservation to reveal more of the hoard’s beauty and to keep it protected for future generations. There will also be a research project to understand the stories of creation and deposition. Over the coming years the hoard will be put on display, and we cannot wait to share it with our visitors.”

Deputy Leader of City of York Council and Executive Member for Economy and Culture, Cllr Pete Kilbane, added, “The huge level of public interest in the Melsonby Hoard, and support for keeping it in York, shows just how much people value our city’s role in showcasing the heritage of Yorkshire and these islands that we call home. It’s a major addition to a fantastic collection in the heart of York. Thanks to all the organisations and public who have supported the project so far. It feels like we are writing the next chapter in understanding our shared history, and York is at the centre of that story.”