Public help to keep 3,000-year-old torc in county

An appeal to keep a "rare and beautiful" 3,000-year-old piece of gold jewellery in the county it was discovered in has met its fundraising target with a week to spare.

The torc was discovered by metal detectorist Robert Ward in a field near Market Harborough, in Leicestershire, in 2024 and is one of just a few examples in the country.

A public appeal to raise £10,000 was launched by the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society in February, which has now met its target ahead of its 20 March deadline.

The donations will be used alongside money raised from grants and public groups towards the £150,000 needed to put the Bronze Age treasure on public display in the county.

The society previously said without the public's help, the torc, which it said was possibly originally worn around its owner's waist and later modified to be worn around the neck, had an "uncertain" future and could have ended up in the hands of a private collector in the UK or abroad.

The discovery was reported to the Portable Antiquities Scheme, which is managed by the British Museum and records archaeological finds discovered by the public.

It was declared treasure and valued at £150,000.

Leicestershire County Council Museums wants the Bronze Age torc to remain at Harborough Museum, to ensure it stays part of Leicestershire's history.

Leicestershire County Council's senior curator Alison Clague said she was "delighted" at the news and gave a "big thanks" to everyone who donated and shared the appeal.

She said: "Leicestershire County Council Museums are just waiting for the final piece of the funding jigsaw to fall into place and hope to be able to confirm the acquisition of the torc by the end of April.

"We are exploring the most effective and engaging ways to display this remarkable object.

"We are committed to ensuring it can be enjoyed by the public, and our teams are currently assessing how best to showcase its craftsmanship, context and significance."

Alongside the £10,050 raised by donations, contributions have come from the Art Fund, the Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, the Market Harborough Historical Society and the Leicestershire Fieldworkers group.

If the total of £150,000 had not been raised, the British Museum had an option to buy the torc, or the finder and owner of the site would have been able to put it up for sale to the highest bidder.

Society chair Prof Elizabeth Tingle said the University of Leicester's A New History of Bronze project had plans to examine the torc, and added: "Finds like this are rare, and this beautiful object is a unique and significant object of a type never before found in Leicestershire."

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