We were back in the Museum of Somerset this month for a session which was all about a very special object in the museum’s collection – the Cheddar Brooch.  This unique item is over a thousand years old and is one of the most important objects every discovered in Somerset.

The session was led for us by Dan Broadbent who talked about the history of the brooch and how it was found by a metal detectorist.  It is decorated with intertwining animals and plants, including different types of dragons.  After conservation the brooch has been put on display in the museum.

After Dan’s talk we split up into groups.  One group went to visit the brooch in the museum and the others made replicas of the brooch out of gold and silver card.  We were also lucky enough to be visited by Nessie, a re-enactor who brought along Saxon artefacts, weapons, clothing and other objects for us to look at.  The groups rotated so we could all get chance to do all the activities.

At the end of the session Dan told us some Saxon tales and legends which included dragons like the ones on the brooch.

A big thank you to Dan and Nessie for coming along to give us such a fascinating session!