Ackworth Hoard for Wakefield

Wakefield Council’s campaign to keep the Ackworth Hoard in the district is a success thanks to support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The Ackworth Hoard - coins and a gold ring buried in a pot

HLF has awarded £25,500 towards the acquisition of the treasure and a programme of associated activities so that people can learn about its importance to Wakefield and Yorkshire. 

The Ackworth Hoard was found buried in a garden in Ackworth last year inside a pot made locally in Wrenthorpe. It is made up of 52 gold and 539 silver coins and a single gold ring. It was declared as treasure by the West Yorkshire coroner last March and valued at £54,492.Dating to the Civil War, it is the only hoard known from the Wakefield district and has a distinct Royalist association.

Further support includes £49,000 raised from national funding, £27,000 from the Victoria and Albert Museum Purchase Grant and £10,000 from the Headley Trust.

Over £2,500 has also been reached through local fundraising including Ackworth Parish Council donating £500., and the Council is providing financial support to fund the gap to reach the £54,500 needed to save the items for Yorkshire.

Gold finger ring inscribed 'When you see this, remember me'

Cllr David Dagger, Cabinet Member for Culture said: “We are delighted to have secured The Hoard for display at Pontefract Museum. These items are a real part of this district's rich history and we are overwhelmed by the fantastic response from the public to save the Hoard for Yorkshire.

“The support from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the generous donation from Ackworth Parish Council has meant that we can reach our total to keep the treasure in the district for future generations to enjoy.”

The Ackworth Hoard will be on temporary display at Pontefract Museum from June to August. The museum will be recruiting a team of volunteers to work on the Hoard before it goes on permanent display in 2014/15 as part of a redevelopment of the museum, part funded by the Arts Council England.

The Council launched a campaign last October to raise the funds needed to keep the Hoard in Yorkshire through national funding and appealing for public donation.

The Hoard represents an important period in local and national history. It dates from the Civil War and was probably buried for safe keeping between 1645 and 1646, around the same time as the second siege of Pontefract Castle. The presence of the gold finger ring also makes it very unusual, giving it a more domestic aspect than most of the Hoards which contain only coins. It is inscribed with the words “When this you see, remember me”.

For a fuller description of the hoard, see the Pontefract Museum page.