Dark ages dress hook is unearthed in North Shropshire

The second hook was found in a field near Prees on March 13 last year by Roger Price.

Mr Price, from Criftins, near St Martin's, said he had no idea what he'd found when he first uncovered it.

"It was about six to nine inches in the ground - about ploughing depth," he said.

"I didn't know what it was to start with. I wrote some of the muck of and could see a bit of a pattern on it. I didn't know there was another half to it until later on.

"It's very rare to find a matching pair, particularly in the condition they were in."

Mr Price said he was looking forward to seeing the hooks reunited again when they go on display at Shropshire Museum in Shrewsbury.

The 72-year-old said he found the hook on his first visit to that particular site, but had previously uncovered silver coins saying back to the reign off James I.

At a treasure inquest held in Shrewsbury, it was revealed that the hook, which measures 27.5mm by 17.5mm, dates back to the ninth century.

The other half of the clasp was discovered in a neighbouring field by a different metal detectorist and is now owned by the Shropshire Museum. The museum is interested in having the second piece as well to be able to reunite them for the first time in almost 1,500 years.

Shropshire coroner John Ellery declared the find to be treasure. It will now be valued and some of the proceeds will be shared between Mr Price and the landowner.

It is understood Shropshire Museum is interested in buying the dress hook so that it can have the pair in its permanent collection.

"The chances of these two being found are pretty slim," he said.