Come and join us on a day trip to the Corinium Museum, Cirencester, to view the Willersey Roman swords.
In March 2023, first-time metal detectorist, Glenn Manning, much to the surprise of his sceptical fellow detectorists, unearthed two Roman swords in a field near Willersey. Manning's discovery prompted Historic England and Cotswold Archaeology to team up and conduct geophysical surveys on the site. These revealed remains dating from the Early-Middle Iron Age through to the 2nd century AD. Extensive excavations also uncovered Iron Age ring ditches; remnants of Roman limestone that may once have been a villa; an Iron Age burial with a nearby horse skull; and the bones of an arm and a hand. X-rays performed at Historic England‘s science laboratory revealed that the swords were constructed differently. One features intricate pattern welding, indicative of a higher status, and the other is plain. Both, known as spatha weapons, were used by Roman cavalry during the early second to third century CE and might have been intentionally buried to keep them out of the hands of the enemy, possibly during Saxon incursions.
News of the site and its various treasures was only made public in July 2025 following extensive conservation of the swords at the Corinium Museum, prior to going on display. You may have also seen them on a recent episode of Digging for Britain.
The fact that the swords ended up in Cirencester was a complete accident of geography. Because the site was off Badsey Lane, the team contacted Worcestershire’s Portable Antiquities Scheme, only to be told that the site was a short distance across the county border, and therefore they would come under the care of Gloucestershire. They were therefore almost the Badsey Swords!
Please note that this is a members only event but membership costs only £5.
