Shirley man stunned after discovering 500-year-old bronze ring buried in local woods

A Shirley man was left stunned after uncovering what is believed to be a centuries-old signet ring while metal detecting in a local park.

Tom Harding has been using his metal detector for years but said he had never made a particularly valuable discovery before.

That changed when he came across the bronze ring buried near a pine tree.

"I often go out with my metal detector and have been using it for years," Tom said.

"I've never found much to be honest, and certainly nothing of value, so when I saw the bottom of the ring and saw it was bronze I was both shook and excited.

"I still have no idea what it is or if it has any value but it's more the intrigue of it."

The ring has an octagonal-shaped face with markings across it, while there are no obvious markings inside the band.

It has since been suggested that the object could be a signet or seal ring, with its style and markings potentially pointing towards the late medieval or early post-medieval period.

That would put it at potentially around 500 years old, although its exact age and origin have not yet been established.

Signet rings were historically used as personal seals, with designs engraved into the face so they could leave an impression in wax.

The markings on Tom's discovery are difficult to read, leaving the biggest mystery of the find as to what the ring actually says or represents.

Tom said the potential value of the discovery is not his main concern.

"I'm not really interested in its value as unless it's worth a hundred grand I'm not gonna sell it," he said.

"I would really like to know what it says even if it is just someone's signature or name."

Tom now wants to have the ring examined to find out more about where it came from and how old it could be.

For now, the discovery has left him with a much bigger mystery than he expected to find on an ordinary trip to the park.

And until the ring is properly examined, exactly who owned it, when it was made and what the markings mean remain unknown.