Our incredibly rare Enderby Shield is now proudly on display in The British Museum!
Back in 2015, the University of Leicester Archaeological Services were excavating the Everards Meadows site when they came across an incredible find! That find was the remains of a bark object that had been deeply buried in the waterlogged fills of a substantial Iron Age pit. The object was soon identified as a bark shield dating from the Middle Iron Age.
The unique Enderby Shield was crafted from bark between 400BC-190BC and rediscovered over 2,000 years later. The Everard family chose to donate this important artefact to the extensive Iron Age collection at The British Museum for all to enjoy.
The team there have carefully conserved the shield and it is now proudly on display!
Dr Julia Farley, Curator of British and European Iron Age Collections at the British Museum, said: “This is an absolutely phenomenal object, one of the most marvellous, internationally important finds that I've encountered in my career. So often it is gold which grabs the headlines, but this bark shield is much rarer. It holds a rich store of information about Iron Age society and craft practices. We are grateful to Everards and the University of Leicester for donating such a significant object to the British Museum.”
Julian Everard, 6th Generation Chairman of Everards commented, “We are delighted to see the Enderby Shield on display and can see how much hard work has gone into conserving it so it can be enjoyed by generations to come. We are proud that so many visitors will see it on display and we celebrate it at our Everards Meadows home with our special sculpture created by local sculptor John Sydney Carter. Thank you to the University of Leicester Archaeological Services and The British Museum for all their efforts in recovering and restoring the shield.”
Want to know more about the Enderby Shield? Why not book a brewery tour or take a look at our statue outside our Beer Hall. If you’re a real history fan then google ‘Enderby Shield’ to learn lots more!
Pictured are members of the Everards family and team, John Sydney Carter and representatives from The British Museum and The University of Leicester.
What a fantastic achievement! Congratulations to our fantastic business owners who have been recognised and awarded with the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) Heart of the Community award for all they have done to support their local communities at this challenging time.
We’ve added a lovely new pub to our estate and welcomed two fabulous business owners to the Everards Family.
Earlier this year, The Mountsorrel and Rothley Heritage Centre received £1,381 from the Everards Community Excellence Fund, provided by the Everards Family Foundation and Carling.
