Thanks to a grant from the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund, residents are invited to interact with the famous Herefordshire Hoard via a range of up-coming community events and activities.
These are all part of the ‘Revealing Our Roots: Unearthing Common Ground’ project, aimed at engaging communities across the county with this fascinating and important Viking-era treasure hoard, discovered near Leominster in Herefordshire in 2015.
At the events, you will be invited to handle high quality, full-sized replicas of items from the Hoard. At each event you will be able to meet with specialists and encouraged to imagine yourself in the shoes of the Viking(s) who buried the treasure. For example, why did they bury the treasure, why did they choose the location where it was found - and when and how did they expect it to be unearthed?
The following Revealing Our Roots dates and events have so far been scheduled
- Saturday 13 September, 2pm-3pm - Handling the Hoard Event, History Store, Friars Street, Hereford HR4 0AS
Handle high-quality replicas of the Herefordshire Hoard and other treasures and discover their history with expert curators.
- Thursday 18 September, 7pm-8.30pm – ‘Highlighting the Hoard’ with Dr Katie Miller at Ledbury Heritage Centre, Church Lane, Ledbury HR8 1DW
This lecture will be about the Hoard objects and their significance to theories around how they arrived in Herefordshire and the development of Anglo/Viking history. Free to attend, but prebooking required. Book via: Revealing our Roots: Herefordshire Hoard talk Tickets, Thu 18 Sep 2025 at 19:00 | Eventbrite. (FULLY BOOKED)
- Sunday 21 September, 11am-3pm – Leominster Priory Heritage Day, Leominster Priory HR6 8EQ
Come and visit our tabletop display where you will be able to handle replica objects from the Hoard. You can take part in a Viking Crime and Punishment activity and learn how to identify treasure.
- Saturday 4 October, 10am-4pm - Viking Activity Day at Ewyas Harold Craft Centre, HR2 0EL
This is a free, all ages event where you can get creative by taking part in Viking crafts and games and even meet a Viking or two!
- Wednesday 8 October, 7pm-8.30pm – ‘Heritage Crime’ with Jono Lightfoot, Rural Crime Officer and National Tactical Advisor, at Ledbury Heritage Centre, Church Lane, Ledbury HR8 1DW
Free to attend but pre-booking required. Book via: Revealing our Roots: Heritage Crime talk Tickets, Thu 9 Oct 2025 at 19:00 | Eventbrite.
Between 11 September to 2 November, you can also visit the special ‘Revealing Our Roots, Herefordshire Hoard’ Exhibition at Ledbury Heritage Centre, Church Lane, Ledbury HR8 1DW. You can handle the high-quality replicas of the Hoard and contribute your ideas for an upcoming film project that will be made in collaboration with the Ledbury Community Hub and Rural Media.
Councillor Harry Bramer, Cabinet Member for Community Services and Assets at Herefordshire Council, said:
These interactive Revealing Our Roots events and activities will create opportunities for us to discuss identity and heritage and to share different perspectives. In so doing, we will strengthen our role as a countywide service that is inclusive and reflective of Herefordshire's rich cultural tapestry and help to promote cultural integration and understanding. We are very grateful to the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund for enabling us to do this work.
The Herefordshire Hoard includes coins, jewellery and a silver ingot, providing unprecedented evidence of Viking activity in the region.
The Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund is administered by the Museums Association, funding projects that develop collections to achieve social impact. For more information, visit the Museum Association website.