Friday 22 January 1982
A precious new find, by far the oldest man-made object to come its way, has gone on show at Warminster Dewey Museum.
It is a palstave, a Bronze Age axe head, circa 1400 BC, which was found on the Longleat Estate by amateur archaeologist and metal detector user Mr. Kenneth Yarde, who lives at 133 Horningsham.
Technically Lord Bath’s property and consequently on loan to the Museum, Mr. Yarde’s palstave is cast in bronze and measures about seven inches by two and a half. Its cutting edge is well preserved, and time has given parts of the ridge to which its shaft was once fitted a patina like polished marble.
Manned by volunteers and in the care of the curator Mr. Percy Trollope, the Dewey Museum, in Curfew Cottage, behind the Chapel of St. Lawrence, High Street, is able to open only for a short period each week.
But later this year the collection will be moved across the High Street and the Market Place to the new Library building at the Central Car Park end of The Three Horse Shoes Mall.