Skip to content

Detectorist hopes to reunite locket with owner

Mark Willcox An open silver locket, covered in mud, containing the image of a 20th century woman, wearing eyeliner and a cap. The photograph looks to be taken in passport-style.Mark Willcox
The silver locket was found dented, damaged, and covered in mud

A metal detectorist hopes to reunite a locket containing the picture of a young woman with its owner.

Mark Willcox found the "dented and damaged" silver keepsake while exploring a patch of rough land in South Gloucestershire.

Despite posting photographs of the locket on local Facebook groups, Mr Willcox has had "no luck" in finding out who the woman in the locket is.

"The picture, to me, looked from the 1960s, although it is a colour photograph," he said.

Mr Willcox, who lives in Coombe Dingle, Bristol, found the "quite badly damaged" locket while exploring between Wickwar and Charfield.

"It was covered in mud and quite dented," he said.

"I rubbed it off clean, so it is obviously silver because silver comes out of the ground pretty much the same as it goes in."

Mr Willcox opened his discovery, expecting to come across a locket of hair, and discovered a passport-style photograph of a young woman.

Mark Willcox Mark, a metal detectorist, in his gear, holding up the silver locket and smilingMark Willcox
Mark discovered the locket after being given permission to use his metal detector between Charfield and Wickwar

Mr Willcox is part of a metal detectorist hobby group on Facebook that helps reunite people with lost jewellery.

He said that this year alone he has found three wedding rings.

But he added he has found nothing like the locket before, and wants to reunite it with its owner, or find out more about the lady in the photograph.

"I don't want anything for it, it would just be a really nice thing to do," he said.

"I'm not a treasure hunter. I don't go out looking for things to sell.

"I do it because it's a good hobby."

But, despite the curious case of the locket, Mr Willcox insists it isn't the most interesting thing he has found.

That discovery was also made in Wickwar with his friend, Mark Lovell, in 2021.

"A few years ago, me and a friend found 6,500 Roman coins in three ceramic pots," he said.

The coins are due to go on display at Bristol Museum.

Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.

More on this story