North Yorkshire hoard to remain at museum after securing funding
The Melsonby Hoard will now be housed at the Yorkshire Museum
One of the largest hoards found in North Yorkshire is to remain in the county after receiving funding to permanently acquire the treasure.
The Yorkshire Museum announced on Tuesday (July 29th) that it had received just under £200,000 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund in order to "acquire the Melsonby Hoard for future generations".
The Melsonby Hoard was first found in 2021 by a metal detectorist near the village of Melsonby and contained over 800 different artefacts from the Iron Age, with some dating back over 2,000 years.
Among the artefacts found were ceremonial spears, wheels and cauldrons, all of which helped to contribute to the understanding of what life was like in the area during the Iron Age.
Following this, Historic England has provided immense financial support to researching the details of the hoard, with £120,000 being given to examine the pieces - together with the British Museum.
On top of this, the public has also provided money through donations to maintain the hoard, raising a total of £74,000 in donations and crowdfunding.
Speaking on the acquisition, Kathryn Blacker from the 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."