Bronze Age axe heads treasure found in Millom by Josh Carr

Josh Carr, 27, was out indulging in his metal detecting hobby with his brother near Millom on Sunday when he uncovered three Bronze Age axe heads thought to be around 3,000 years old or more.

Josh, a labourer for Dean and Ross Builders in Millom, has been metal detecting for over five years and has found several significant artefacts in the Millom area.

These include a silver Roman coin from the time of Marcus Aurelius, two Roman trumpet brooches and an Iron Age iron terret ring - but he said this was his biggest find yet.

Josh said: "I've been metal detecting for about five years and it’s without doubt the most important thing I’ve ever found.

"It could possibly indicate a lost bronze-age settlement or hill-fort.

"The history around this area is unbelievable. It's just spending time going out and finding out – spending hours in the field, and it will reward you one day, and it rewarded me on Sunday.

"I love spending time out in the open.

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"With these finds you're the first person to touch, hold, see it in hundreds if not thousands of years – I find it absolutely mind-blowing.

"I call myself a time-traveller because it is like time-travelling, being the first one to hold it in thousands of years, it's something so special."

As it is classed as treasure, Josh must now declare his find to a coroner, and hand the axeheads to the Finds Liaisons Officer at the Dock Museum in Barrow, and they will then be assessed by archaeological experts.

The news delighted Jan Bridget, chair of the Millom and District Local History Society, which has announced several important archaelogical findings over the last year.

She said: "We are absolutely delighted with the find because bronze objects have been a missing part of the jigsaw for our area.  

"We are hoping it will stir interest from a university to come and do some surveys and digs."