Norfolk mum Jennie finds treasure chest during beach clean-up

Jennie Fitzgerald found the treasure chest during a beach clean-up event

Imagine taking part in a beach clean-up and instead of finding plastic bottles and litter - you dig up a lost treasure chest!

Well, that's exactly what happened to Jennie Fitzgerald - it's no surprise she says she's "still in shock"!

Jennie found the wooden chest, filled with coins, gems and other items, between Cart Gap and Happisburgh in Norfolk.

She described what happened as "really surreal" and said, "it's been a crazy time".

'Mum found a treasure chest!'

It took about an hour to go through all the items

Jennie, who works at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, said she spotted a piece of wood that "had an unusual shape to it" as she was about to leave the beach.

"As I moved over to it I realised it was quite firmly in the sand," she said.

"I noticed it had this brass lock on it and it was a treasure chest."

Mrs Fitzgerald said she thought the chest was from the Victorian era as it had "VR and a little crown" on the lock.

Mrs Fitzgerald then telephoned her husband and children to come and see.

"I said 'look everyone - Mum found a treasure chest!'" she said.

Jennie said her children thought the family would be "rich and famous" after the discovery

When the family managed to lever open the chest after scrubbing away sand from it, and they were amazed at what they found.

"Coins started dropping out, then the gems and the pocket watch... The last thing to come out was a big perfume bottle," Jennie said.

"I was in shock, I was just sat there staring at everyone."

Mrs Fitzgerald said the local council was going to arrange for the items to be checked out and would try to work out who the chest belonged to.