Cleethorpes teacher's Anglo-Saxon treasures sell for £30k

Anglo-Saxon treasure unearthed by a history teacher in a field has sold for £30,000 at auction.

Gordon Taylor discovered the artefacts, which date back to 450 AD, in 1962 after finding a piece of bone in Irby-on-Humber, North East Lincolnshire.

It led to a 17-year excavation, in which items including a 1,000-year-old skull, jewellery, scissors and a spear head were also uncovered.

The 250-strong collection is believed to have been sold to a museum.

Mr Taylor, from Cleethorpes, died three years ago aged 88. His son Geoff said the family were "absolutely delighted" by the sale.

"I watched the sale live. I just called my mum and she is over the moon," he said.

He said he hoped the artefacts would be put "on public view".

The family wanted the collection - including a gilt brooch, pots, knives and pendants incorporating runic characters from the early Teutonic alphabet - to be kept together and preserved in a museum.

Hansons Auctioneers had originally set a guide price of up to £80,000 but this was later reduced to between £30,000 and £40,000.

Mr Taylor's collection was sold online with the auction being streamed live on the auctioneers' website due to the pandemic.

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