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'A very special moment': ITV reporter writes about archaeological find in Leicestershire

ITV News Central cameras captured the moment an archaeological dig turned into a historic success. Credit: ITV News Central

Sometimes as a journalist, you report on a story and when you get there it turns into more of a story than you thought.

On Sunday 21st July, myself and cameraman Jack Jones found ourselves at Willesley Scout campsite near Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire.

We were filming a feature item about scouts from across the East Midlands trying their hand at archaeology. The event had been organised by Derbyshire Scout Archaeology Activity Team (DSAT), a group founded by Morgause Lomas. Morgause was a scout herself and studied Archaeology at Cambridge University. She's now combined her twin passions to inspire the next generation to go digging for history, and created a new Archaeology scout badge.

Two scout sisters unearth 6th century brooch during archaeological dig
The Scouts had come to Willesley Scout Campsite in Leicestershire, all keen to gain their new archaeology badge. Credit: ITV News Central

Willesley was an ideal location, as the campsite sits on the remains of a Tudor manor-house which was knocked down in 1953.

Jack and I filmed the scouts uncovering some of the foundations, and using their trowels and brushes to scour the brickwork for any items of interest.

But it was two sisters from Derbyshire having a go at metal detecting who came up with the find of the weekend. Before our very eyes, we saw Georgia and Evie Hinton make the most exciting discovery - a decorative brooch which looked very old. It was a very special moment.

The brooch was found on 21st July and sent to the British Museum in London who confirmed it is a copper alloy, square-headed brooch. Credit: ITV News Central

The DSAT leaders were as thrilled as the girls, but no-one wanted to get ahead of themselves. Could it really be Anglo-Saxon - or was this a good Victorian copy?

From a news point of view, we were left a bit in limbo. Normally, we would have broadcast our report that same day, but we were told the brooch would have to go away to be examined and dated. We agreed to hold back from putting out a report and, like everyone else, spent the next few weeks on tenterhooks.

In the end, it was the result everybody wanted. The Portable Antiquities Scheme, based at the British Museum, which keeps a record of public finds, confirmed the brooch was genuine, Anglo-Saxon and around 1500 years old.

Sometimes, it goes against your instinct as a journalist to sit on a story - but sometimes it's well worth it!

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