#sedbergh

Viking Ring, The Dales Countryside Museum, Hawes, Yorkshire Dales

This elaborate and rare form of 9th or 10th century Viking gold ring was found during the excavation of a drainage ditch in Sedbergh. It is a double-banded hoop made from a gold strip, the ends of which are drawn into wires at the back of the hoop and then wound tightly round. It is decorated with incised grooves, triangles and lozenge shapes.

It may have belonged to someone of high status or may even have been a royal gift. According to the histories and sagas of the time, kings gave gold rings to their warriors and court poets as rewards for service. Gold rings were regarded as the sign of a Viking king's man. They were not given exclusively to men, but the size of this ring suggests it may have belonged to a man.

'Simply stunning': your favourite cycle rides around the world 

 ‘My favourite ride starts at Sedbergh in Cumbria and meanders down Dentdale, surely the most beautiful valley in all of England. Every foot is pure pleasure. After five miles you arrive at the exquisite cobbled-street village of Dent, with a beautiful church and a great place for refreshment, Stone Close tea room. Then cycle on up the increasingly wild dale to Denthead: the view back down the Dale from the road above the magnificent Denthead viaduct must be one of the best in the land.’