Thousands raised to keep Bronze Age treasure

A museum raising money to keep a 3,000-year-old dress fastener said it had reached a "fantastic milestone" by receiving £10,000 in donations.

The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, is aiming to raise £150,000 to hold on to the rare Bronze Age treasure, which was discovered in 2023 in Ellastone, Staffordshire.

The item has been described by the city council as one of the finest examples of its kind ever discovered, with only seven others recorded across England and Wales.

The museum said that The Friends of The Potteries Museums & Art Gallery, helped by public donations, had raised £10,000 towards the acquisition.

"Thank you everyone who has donated towards this fantastic milestone," it said.

"We are now closing this strand of the funding campaign."

A £60,000 pledge has already been secured from Art Fund, subject to the remaining funds being raised.

The fastener was found by Jonathan Needham, a retired tree surgeon from Nottinghamshire.

If the appeal succeeds, the fastener will be displayed in the museum's archaeology galleries and be available for research into prehistoric Staffordshire.

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