The Staffordshire Hoard was one of the most important Anglo-Saxon finds anywhere in the country. It caught the national imagination for the sheer number of gold coins in the collection. The National Lottery has already played a huge part in its conservation, display and awareness. Now, thanks to a £500,000 grant, a new Staffordshire Hoard Exhibit will open at Tamworth Castle in the Midlands. It will welcome castle visitors to see some of the impressive collection for the first time. Tamworth expects to display 18 items from the 3,500 strong collection.
By David Rowan, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (Staffordshire hoard) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
About The Staffordshire Hoard Exhibit
Castle management and locals alike are excited about the new Staffordshire Hoard exhibit. However, not only will it display a small part of the enormous collection, but also highlight the town’s important Anglo-Saxon history. It will contribute a small part of the planned West Midlands Trail, an important area for the Anglo-Saxons. Mercia was close to the border of the Danelaw. Vikings governed this area until England unified under the descendants of Alfred the Great. It’s likely whomever placed the hoard in the ground did so in the 7th century when Viking raids were at their peak.
Tamworth Castle will call its Staffordshire Hoard Exhibition the Battle and Tribute Project, using lottery money to display the gold alongside history exhibits. Interactive features will comprise part of the exhibition to draw in families, along with videos.
- A reconstructed Mead Hall will show daily life of the warrior classes of the early to mid Saxon societies
- Possibly the reconstruction of a Saxon Palace
- Interactive fun games for all the family focusing on battle
Many of the pieces were linked to war, making this focus especially relevant for Tamworth Castle and its place in the Trail.