Why do Old Stories Matter Today?
Recent visitors to the museum might have noticed that our newest temporary exhibition, Here Be Dragons: Anglo-Saxon Influence on Fantasy is now open to visit. This exhibition celebrates the impact of Anglo-Saxon culture and literature on our world today. 2026 is the National Year of Reading and so to celebrate, this exhibition ties what often […]
On This Day: Death of Æthelflæd of Mercia
On the 12th of June in the year 918 AD, Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians, died. She was one of the most influential figures in the Anglo-Saxon period and made a significant impact. The daughter of Alfred the Great, Æthelflæd was a warrior queen in her own right as well as an extremely savvy political […]
The Story of Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria
On this day in 1076 AD, Waltheof, Earl of Northumbria, was beheaded at St Giles’ Hill near Winchester. Executed for treason, he was the only English aristocrat executed during the reign of William the Conqueror. Waltheof was the great-grandson of Uhtred of Bamburgh, of The Last Kingdom fame. After the death of his father and […]
Spotlight: Harness Pendant
Welcome to our newest spotlight! I recently had the pleasure of working with this wonderful little harness pendant in our collections, and it led me down a rabbithole of research. This example (2025.0022 in our collections) dates from the late 14th century, so around 1350-1400 AD. It is in a quatrefoil shape – this comes from the Latin ‘quattor’, meaning ‘four’ and ‘folium’ meaning ‘leaf’. You might see this shape a lot in churches as […]
Our Cuddy: Celebrating St Cuthbert’s Day
The 20th of March is the anniversary of the death of St Cuthbert in 687 AD. It is also his feast day as a Saint. We know St Cuthbert as the patron saint of Northumbria. He is very important in the history of the region and the identity of its people. He was such an […]
Peace-Weavers, Wise Women, Warrior Queens – Anglo-Saxon Women
The 8th of March is International Women’s Day, a day of celebrating the achievements and impact of women in all areas of society. To commemorate this day coming up soon, we wanted to highlight some incredible Anglo-Saxon women. In their own way, each of these women held very important roles. They made a very real […]