National Heritage Memorial Fund to support Ely Museum in buying the East Cambridgeshire Bronze Age Gold Torc

The National Heritage Memorial Fund has offered Ely Museum a grant of £150,000 towards the purchase of the East Cambridgeshire Gold Torc. The Museum has also been offered £40,000 from the V&A Purchase Grant and two smaller grants.
The museum has almost reached its £220,000 target and now needs the help of local people to raise the final £8000. Without your help the museum will not be able to buy the torc and display this locally found masterpiece for local people to see.
If you would like to contribute then please do so at https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/6790#/DonationDetails or contact the museum on 01353 666655. Cheques can be made payable to Ely Museum.
The Torc is regarded as the best to be found in England in more than a century. It is much larger than usual examples and is made of 730g of almost pure gold. The find was made by a metal detectorist in a ploughed field in East Cambridgeshire and was reported to the local Finds Liaison Officer. Neil Wilkin, Curator of Bronze Age Europe at the British Museum has described the workmanship as “astonishing”. There has been much speculation about its use as it is so large. It may have been worn by pregnant women as a form or protection, or used to ornament a sacrificial animal.
Next week the museum will be hosting a talk on the Torc….
The Great Gold Torc
Thursday 27th July at 7pm
A lecture at Ely Museum
FREE ENTRY (No booking required)
An evening lecture with Dr. Neil Wilkin Curator, Bronze Age Collection
at The British Museum
Ely Museum is on the corner of Market Street and Lynn Road only 250 metres away from the Cathedral’s west door. The museum is open Monday to Saturday from 10.30am to 5pm and on Sundays from 1pm to 5pm. Entry is £4.50 for adults and £4.00 for concessions, £1 for children and under 5s are free. Tickets are valid for one year.
This exhibition has been made possible with funding from the Museum Development Fund, and support from the British Museum and the SHARE scheme.