Metal detectorist finds rare 15th Century Madonna and Child ring

Matthew Hepworth said the find was a "dream come true"

Finding a rare six-centuries-old ring engraved with the Madonna and Child has left a metal detectorist in "shock".

Matthew Hepworth came across the oval gold ring, which depicts the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus, while searching in a field in Lancaster.

The 48-year-old nurse, from Morecambe, said the "once in a lifetime" find was thought to date from the 1400s.

An inquest will rule on whether it will be classed as treasure, but he said he hoped it will end up in a local museum.

The nurse said he had been "metal detecting for more than 30 years and this is a once in a lifetime find"

The father-of-two said he was "over the moon about it".

"I was so shocked to find it," he said.

"I have been metal detecting for more than 30 years and this is a once in a lifetime find."

He said the discovery was "a dream come true", adding: "It tops everything and is a very rare find for the UK."

The oval ring featured an image known as the Madonna and Child, which depicts the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus

He said he unearthed the ring after hearing a faint sound on his metal detector and that when he told the landowner about it, they were "gobsmacked".

He has since informed the local finds officer and Lancaster City Museum about the discovery, which he found a few weeks ago.

The Lune Valley Detecting Club member said it was a "privilege" to have "salvaged a piece of history from the ground".

He said it was his best find yet, beating other prized discoveries such as a Bronze Age burial site in 2016 and a silver seal depicting a slave.