Mystery of 'sword in tree' near priory
Alan FinneganA sword found stuck in a tree trunk near a 13th Century priory could have been put there by a Harry Potter fan, volunteers have theorised.
A walker heading for Finchale Priory in Durham from the city's bus station came across the ornate sword, embedded up to its hilt in a tree.
It remains a mystery to English Heritage, which preserves the old Benedictine priory, and to Durham County Council, which owns the land the sword was found on.
An English Heritage volunteer speculated the model sword had been made by a Potter fan in a nod to the fantasy series.
Walker Alan Finnegan said he stumbled across the "sword in the tree" on the way to the priory.
"It was on the other side of the river, up the steps towards the car park," he said.
He posted images of the mystery sword on social media, said he had discovered nothing concrete about the weapon's past.
Through his appeals, people told him that the sword might not have been in the tree for a very long time.
"I personally don't know much about the history but I've heard that it wasn't there for long, but with not much information on it, I'd say that it's a brilliant conversation starter," Mr Finnegan said.
"It makes people wonder about the history of the sword and where it has come from."
The council confirmed the sword was on its land but said it did not know anything about it.
It added the police had been informed, but no action needed to be taken as it was firmly lodged in the tree.
Godric's sword?
Finchale Priory was founded in 1196 and became an outpost of Durham Cathedral, functioning as a holiday retreat for monks until the dissolution in 1538.
English Heritage spoke to its volunteers at the priory, who believe the sword must have been put there recently.
One volunteer said: "I walked past the tree many times without noticing it and I only became aware of it when a visitor asked me what the story was behind it.
"Following that, I was asked by some of the younger visitors where 'Godric's sword' was."
In the Harry Potter book series, Godric's sword belonged to one of the founders of the Hogwarts houses, Gryffindor, and would only present itself to a worthy candidate.
"It's definitely not that sword, however, as it is described as having a handle that is encrusted with jewels," the volunteer said.
"My theory is that a Harry Potter fan made the sword and hammered it into the tree and then posted a pic on his or her social media asking 'is this Godric's sword?'"