SCOOP

Discover the Herefordshire Hoard* this summer!

It’s often said that kids learn as they play. So, events taking place to help ‘bring the hoard home to Herefordshire’ are sure to appeal. The Herefordshire Hoard is a Viking treasure, buried around 1100 years ago, that was discovered in a field near Leominster.

Be among the first to see this Viking treasure! Since being discovered in 2015, the hoard’s been stored in the British Museum in London. But many people want to see it in the county in which it was found.

Organisers of a series of events taking place around the county hope to do just that. Visitors to Hereford Museum Resource and Learning Centre (MRLC) will be among the first in the region to see some of the ancient treasure.

Remaining MRLC events held between 10.30am-3.30pm: • Wednesday 6 July • Saturday 9 July • Wednesday 3 August Meanwhile, visitors can enjoy hands-on experiences, meet Viking re-enactors, see replicas of the hoard and pick up a trove of information on the precious treasure at the last three days of the Herefordshire Hoard Roadshow held between 11am-3pm:

• Sunday 17 July -

Belmont Community Centre • Saturday 23 July -

The Hub @ St Peter’s (Peterchurch) • Saturday 30 July

Fownhope Memorial Hall

All the above events are free to enter and no appointment is needed. Find out more about the Viking treasure, our events and how you can help to bring the Herefordshire Hoard home at herefordshirehoard.org.uk.

* The Herefordshire Hoard is one of the most significant early medieval treasures ever discovered in Britain. The amateur metal detectorists who found it in a field in Herefordshire in 2015 should have reported their discovery to the authorities. They didn’t and, as a result, they are now in prison.

It’s thought that only a small portion of the hoard has been recovered. This includes three unique and stunning pieces of gold jewellery and 29 rare silver coins. The photos recovered by police during their investigations suggest that the complete hoard had contained around 300 coins. The combination of intact jewellery and a mixture of Anglo-Saxon, Frankish and Islamic coins suggests the Viking hoard was buried around 878 – over 1,100 years ago!

At the time the hoard was buried in the late ninth century, Britain was divided into different kingdoms, including Wessex and Mercia. Those kingdoms were individually fighting for survival against Viking invaders. Coins from Wessex and Mercia, which form part of the Herefordshire Hoard, share some similar designs. This suggests an alliance between those two kingdoms that was probably formed to strengthen their battle against the Vikings.

Get Creative all Summer with Fantastic Family Activities

Get creative this school holidays with a memorable day out for the whole family at the Museum of Royal Worcester.

‘We enjoyed a really lovely afternoon, the children loved painting their own pots, and I even painted my own mug.’ Prior Family, Worcester

The Museum is located in the heart of Worcester, close to parking, cycle routes and GoodRoots café. Families can discover the galleries with Explorer Backpacks, trails and interactive exhibits. Until 4 September enjoy the Platinum Jubilee ‘70 royal years in Worcester porcelain’ display and get hands-on adding to the Big Tea Party Wall artwork.

Make some special time with family and friends with a Paint-Your-Own-Pottery activity – book your table for up to six for a 90-minute session in an inspiring setting. Choose from a range of clay shapes to paint with ceramic colours and the Museum will glaze and fire them for you. Llama and unicorn mugs, money boxes and plates are all popular – and with new royal-themed crowns and princess carriages, you can make your very own Jubilee souvenir. Book onto a Family Creative workshop where you can learn to paint on porcelain or make and colour flowers to decorate a greeting card, dates from 9 July onwards.

www.museumofroyalworcester.org/ whats-on

Give your family a treat over the Summer holidays by coming along to one of our dog-focused fun, educational and free workshops across Herefordshire & Worcestershire. These face-to-face workshops are packed with engaging dog-related games and activities, designed to teach children how to behave responsibly around dogs and understand their body language. Did we mention they’re free?

Each 90-minute session will help your dog-loving children learn to greet dogs safely, how to tell if a pooch is friendly, and how to behave so their fluffy friends feel safe and comfortable around them. Our workshops are aimed at children 7 years old and over, who must be accompanied by an adult. We ask that you please leave your pooch at home, so you and your children can give your full attention to the workshop and get the most out of it. Please feel free to bring in some pictures of your pal as we’d love to see them.

Book now to make sure you don’t miss out on this brilliant, FREE activity. All you need to do is email Charlotte.Paddock@dogstrust.org.uk with your postcode, and we will get you booked onto your nearest event.