Fremington Axe-heads
The only known examples of Bronze Age metal tools found in Swaledale and Arkengarthdale are two axe-heads, which were discovered in about 1785 at Fremington. The earliest surviving report of the find, dated 1823, recalled that there were four axe-heads, but now the whereabouts of only two are known.
They were acquired by the antiquarian Rev Canon William Greenwell (1820-1918), who in 1909 sold them along with his entire large collection of archaeological finds to an American collector, who the following year donated the whole lot to the British Museum. The Fremington axe-heads remain in the British Museum collection and images and information about them can be viewed at the museum’s online catalogue, object ref. WG 1820 is here: axe | British Museum and object ref. WG 1821 is here: axe | British Museum. There are four images of each object. For a more complete story of the provenance and for information on the possible uses of these axe-heads, see the SWAAG database Archaeological Find category PDF, record 1012.
Gilmonby Hoard
In 1980 at Gilmonby, near Bowes, a drainage contractor found a spearhead while excavating in a wet pasture south of the River Greta. Archaeologists were called in and they unearthed 127 pieces of metalwork, including swords and axe-heads, dated to the Late Bronze Age. The find has been interpreted as a smith’s hoard. For more on this find see the SWAAG database Archaeological Find category PDF, record 517.
Axe-head mould
A stone mould, probably used for casting a simple form of axe-head in the early/mid-Bronze Age, was found at Barf End, an isolated farmhouse, near Gunnerside. It was placed on loan at the Countryside Museum, Hawes. For more on this find see the SWAAG database Archaeological Random Find category PDF, record 757.
