Staffordshire Hoard Gallery

A new gallery uncovering the fascinating story of the Staffordshire Hoard opens at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.

Principally funded by a £750,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to create a permanent home for the Staffordshire Hoard in the West Midlands, the new gallery will enable visitors to learn more about this incredible treasure, from its Anglo-Saxon warrior history, to the ongoing conservation techniques used to unlock its secrets today.

Hundreds of pieces from the Hoardare on show, along with hands-on displays exploring how these intriguing items were used, before they were buried some 1,400 years ago. Visitors can find out about the exquisite craftsmanship used to create the items in the hoard, and learn how the designs of the objects can be linked to many regions across Europe.

The Hoard

The Staffordshire Hoard was discovered near the village of Hammerwich (Staffordshire) in 2009 by local metal detectorist Terry Herbert, with further items excavated by archaeologists in 2012. It remains Britain’s largest Treasure case, and one of the most important Anglo-Saxon finds ever made, consisting of gold, silver and garnet decorative fittings dating to the 7th century AD. Many of the pieces come from swords and other weaponry, but there are also several Christian items, as well as ‘mystery’ objects, which continue to intrigue experts and visitors alike.

Younger visitors can get to grips with microscopes and see some of the unusual tools that a conservator uses while working with these precious objects. In addition, visitors can peek into Anglo-Saxon England in the ‘Mead Hall’ showing how a 7th-century Lord and his warriors once lived. Through traditional games, dressing up and story telling, young visitors will get a true feel of what it was like to live in this war-like time.

Ellen McAdam, Director of Birmingham Museums, comments: “The Staffordshire Hoard is one of Birmingham’s most popular collections, and this new gallery will give visitors an even greater access to this unique find. Last year alone, over 100K people from across the world came to see the Hoard at the museum, and we look forward to welcoming many more visitors in years to come.”

Reyahn King, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund West Midlands, said: “We have been delighted to support the Birmingham Museums Trust with a £750,000 grant, in its quest to create a new permanent gallery for Britain’s largest Anglo-Saxon treasure trove found to date. We are now able to see hundreds of items from this magnificent hoard on display here in the West Midlands where it was found, thanks to Lottery players and huge support from the local community and beyond.”

The Staffordshire Hoard is jointly owned by Birmingham City Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council. It was acquired in 2010 by the Birmingham Museums Trust (BMT) and the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery (PM&AG) with the generous support of the Art Fund and the National Heritage Memorial Fund, as well as public donations. Development of the new gallery has been made possible thanks to funding by Heritage Lottery Fund, Garfield Weston and Arts Council England.