Cumbria is deemed a treasure hotspot

Out of the 1,000 discoveries of real-life treasure found throughout England and Wales last year, 12 of the rare and wonderful items were found in Cumbrian soil, bringing the total up to 37 discoveries in the area over the past three years.

Avid metal detectorists throughout the county took their finds to Cumbria Coroner’s Court – a requirement by law – after stumbling across the hidden gems.

In November of 2018, a belt buckle believed to be around 1,000 years old was declared as treasure after it was found by a metal detectorist in Dalton.

Lee Cresswell made the discovery in fields surrounding Dalton on November 25 after he scoured the area with permission of the landowners David and John Mutton.

He reported his discovery of the 9th or 10th Century strap end to the local finds officer which then led to an inquest at Barrow Town Hall to determine if the item was treasure.

Assistant coroner Dr Nicholas Shaw in April 2019 confirmed that the item met the requirements to be declared as treasure as it contains at least 10 per cent precious metal and is at least 300 years old.

Across England and Wales, 1,061 finds were reported last year – 6 per cent more than the year before – and 380 inquests held, with more than 90 per cent returning a verdict of treasure.

To fit the definition of “treasure”, under the Treasure Act 1997, the find must be older than 300 years and be at least 10 per cent precious metal, such as gold or silver. Examples include coins, jewellery and prehistoric metallic objects.

Ian Richardson, treasure registrar at the British Museum, said: “The purpose of the Treasure Act is to enable important archaeological objects to be acquired by museums, for the benefit of all.

“It is pleasing to see local museums interested in acquiring a number of these finds if they are declared Treasure.”

Anyone who discovers treasure must report their finding to the coroner within two weeks.