Three Bronze Age torcs have been found by metal detectorists near Carlisle.
The artefacts were found on Saturday May 23, near Harker, at a rally organised by Lothian Relics Metal Detecting.
Detectorists Alan Daniels and Andy, both from Scotland, found what they believe to be three gold torcs while taking part in the event, which are estimated to be around 3,000 years old.
The torcs have been found on land that The National Grid is currently considering for use as part of the proposed Cross Border Connection project – which could see a substation and new 28km overhead electricity line created in the area.
Andy said: “It happened so fast, my first thought was ‘bull ring’ and then a millisecond later, it was ‘too shiny to be a bull ring’ and then I picked it up and felt the weight and everything was a blur after that.”
Alan said Andy brought the torc over to him in a daze after his once in a lifetime find.
He added: “Andy came over to me and he was holding it in his hands and I said ‘what have you got there, I bet it’s not as good as mine’ I was just joking around with bit of junk and he opened up and he said ‘I think I’m going to have a heart attack.’
“So I said right, let’s just pack up, and go and speak to the guys and get it sorted. But Andy said ‘let’s just double check where I found that one’ and about three feet away there was another one.
“We got the marshals and said we need somebody here to check this and we detected about 10 metres away and we got another one.”
The pair said one of the torcs was clipped and could possibly have been caught by a plough.
Rally organiser Gary Robertson, of Edinburgh, said he believes the torcs are a find of major national significance.
He added: “To find a 3,000-year-old Bronze Age gold torc hoard like that, it just does not happen. It’s the find of 100 lifetimes, it’s so significant for Carlisle but also for Cumbria.
“There’s only ever been one other torc found in Cumbria and that was a singular one. Normally they’re found singular and if two come up a neck torc is then normally found with them.
“With three, there’s got to be other ones there and all of that would need to be recovered by the right authorities. Because they were found really clean, it could point to a ritual burial site.”
Gary said the torcs have been reported to Carlisle’s finders liaison officers, who help members of the public and metal detectorists identify and record archaeological objects.
He estimated that the torcs could be worth around £500,000 each and will be subject to valuation and years of assessment.
If a museum decided to buy the objects, both the finders and landowners will receive a reward.
The rally involved 180 people and took place across 50 fields and 470 acres of land over four days.
Gary said hundreds of other artefacts were also found – including a Medieval coin hoard and a Roman coin hoard.
He added: “Artefacts came up in every single field we were in, we had everything from Victorian and Georgian finds to a Viking brooch, there must have been 500 or 600 items over the few days that we were there.
“I’ve spoken to the local finders liasion officers and they reckon it’s a site of interest, there’s just too many things that have come up.
“There was that much stuff we’re due to go back in August and do another event there. There was just too much land to cover with the people we had.”
The rally was spearheaded by landowner Allan Harty, of Whamtown, and supported overall by six other landowners.
The National Grid is currently aiming to use parts of their land for its proposed Cross Border Connection project – which would see a new substation and 28km overhead electricity line created in the area.
The proposed line would run from the England-Scotland border near Kershopefoot to the new substation, with two possible sites under consideration.
There are two routes under consideration:
- Option A would end at a new substation north of Carlisle, near the existing Harker substation. This route would involve around 28km of new overhead line. This route would run through the area where the rally took place.
- Option B would end at a new substation south of Carlisle, with a longer route of around 47km. This route would cross Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site just north of the River Eden, where the wall survives as underground remains.
The National Grid held consultations on the plans between October and December last year.
It is currently considering the feedback as it develops more detailed proposals for where the new infrastructure could be built
The updated proposals are expected to be shared as part of a second round of consultation, which is expected to take place in 2027.
Several landowners and local people in the Harker area are against the plans as they believe it will destroy the area and its livelihood.
Allan said organising the rally was a way to push back against the plans while also exploring the heritage of the land.
Allan said: “The only way you stop big projects like this or get the National Grid to take it into account is one a legal case or two you build a strong planning case.
“So I reached out to Gary and it was about understanding the heritage value of where we live on where this substation will potentially be built.
“There’s a farmer who will lose around 70 per cent of his farm which will make it not viable, there will be houses around 200 metres away from it and the schools could be decimated if people don’t want to live here.
“Gary and I have been working together for three months, I helped assemble the landowners and Gary assembled the metal detectorists.
“We could have never imagined that where we live would have such a huge heritage value. Those three torcs are really rare, they’re nationally significant.
“But behind it all is our campaign to try and push this substation behind us. It’s pristine countryside here and whatever they build will be massively industrial in the middle of a green belt.
“If you’ve got a Roman hoard, a Medieval hoard and a possible burial site from the Bronze Age, you should have a designated protected area. The last thing you want is it being built on and wiped out.
“We would like Cumberland Council to acknowledge that this has happened and support us in getting this whole area designated for protected status.”
Gary added that he believes plans should be stopped based on the finds.
He said: “We were asked to come in and see if we could find any artefacts in the ground and we believe what we’ve found should put a stop to the plans.
“It is not very often you find three torcs like this in Cumbria, its normally singular down the country, which could point to it being a really historic site.
“If the project goes ahead that history will be lost. Where the torcs were found, they would have been completely lost, as that area is due to become a road.”
A National Grid spokesman said: “We’re aware that finds can sometimes come to light, and we take these seriously.
“As we develop our proposals for Cross Border Connection, we draw on detailed surveys, consultation feedback and expert heritage assessments. We also liaise closely with Cumberland Council and Historic England.
“Any verified finds would be carefully considered within our appraisal. We also encourage all discoveries to be properly recorded through the Portable Antiquities Scheme so they can be fully understood and inform the archaeological record.”
A Cumberland Council spokesman said: “Our Historic Environment Service is aware of the finds made at the metal detecting rally near Blackford. We are awaiting further details on the exact locations and what was recovered.
“Statutory designation to protect archaeological sites is undertaken by Historic England. Requests can be made to them to assess any sites – this is open to all.”
