Cleethorpes teacher's Anglo-Saxon treasures sell for £30k

Hundreds of objects sold as part of the collection include spear heads, brooches and beads

Anglo-Saxon treasure unearthed by a history teacher in a field has sold for £30,000 at auction.

Gordon Taylor discovered the artefacts, which date back to 450 AD, in 1962 after finding a piece of bone in Irby-on-Humber, North East Lincolnshire.

It led to a 17-year excavation, in which items including a 1,000-year-old skull, jewellery, scissors and a spear head were also uncovered.

The 250-strong collection is believed to have been sold to a museum.

They date back to between 450 and 625 AD

Mr Taylor, from Cleethorpes, died three years ago aged 88. His son Geoff said the family were "absolutely delighted" by the sale.

"I watched the sale live. I just called my mum and she is over the moon," he said.

He said he hoped the artefacts would be put "on public view".

Muriel Taylor was "over the moon" with the sale of her late husband's finds

The family wanted the collection - including a gilt brooch, pots, knives and pendants incorporating runic characters from the early Teutonic alphabet - to be kept together and preserved in a museum.

Hansons Auctioneers had originally set a guide price of up to £80,000 but this was later reduced to between £30,000 and £40,000.

Mr Taylor's collection was sold online with the auction being streamed live on the auctioneers' website due to the pandemic.

The collection including this skull was valued at between £30,000 and £40,000