A Frivolous Valentine Post!
Four years ago in 2020 a ring was found on farmland near Wigmore, below the ruins of the once mighty Wigmore Castle, by a local detectorist.
It is a simple gold band with a small sapphire stone, described by expert Dr Ian Bass, from the University of Wales and a member of the Portable Antiquities Scheme, as
‘a well-known medieval ring type, with numerous good examples recorded and reported.’
The detectorist who discovered the ring said:
‘We were in a very basic-looking field, and we turned up a few nice, hammered silver coins which is always very nice. Then I had a good signal, dug down about six inches and found a beautiful ring.’
And here it is. A very simple jewel but one of some value.
The ring is believed to date from between the 12th and 15th centuries.
It is now declared official treasure.
Could this be a Mortimer jewel? Did some medieval Mortimer lady wear this? Was it perhaps a love token? Did she mourn its loss?
Who knows? There is no further evidence, but I like to think that it might once have glittered on a Mortimer finger.
My thanks to the the Hereford Times for the image of the ring.
