Beverley Minster 'bishop's ring' sold at auction for £7,100

The ring is engraved with flowers and images of St George and St Catherine

A gold ring thought to have belonged to a medieval bishop has been sold for £7,100 - just weeks after it was found in a field by a metal detectorist.

The ring, which dates back to between 1450-1550, was found near Beverley Minster, East Yorkshire, by Adam Day, a 30-year-old HGV driver from Hull.

Made from 20-carat gold, it is engraved with drawings of St George and St Catherine and features floral emblems.

It was sold at Hansons Auctioneers to a private UK buyer on Tuesday.

More news from around East Yorkshire

Mr Day said: "I will be sharing the proceeds from the sale with two of my metal detecting friends and the farmer who owns the land where the ring was found.

"You can see Beverley Minster from the field where I found the ring," he added.

The Gothic Beverley Minster is one of the largest parish churches in the UK, bigger than a third of all English cathedrals.

Adam Day, an HGV driver from Hull, found the ring in a field near Beverley Minster

Mr Day, who took up metal detecting three years ago, said he sought the farmer's permission before exploring the land.

Adam Staples from the auctioneers said it is thought only high-ranking figures such as bishops or nobility would have been able to afford such a high quality ring.

It failed to reach its guide price of £8,000-£10,000.

The ring features fine decorative engraving and faceting, and Mr Staples said it may well have may well have belonged to a bishop from Beverley Minster and would have been commissioned.