The Collection

The Dover Saxon Ring
c.550AD

A magnificent and important Anglo Saxon Gold ring, Mid-6th Century

Found in a Saxon rubbish layer near Market Street in 1972 by the CIB Archaeological Rescue Corps, during excavations for the York Street dual carriageway.

The ring has a garnet stone set in a gold quatrefoil bezel and is decorated with gold wire and granulated gold. It is one of the best Saxon rings ever found in England and probably belonged to a senior member of the court of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Kent.

Dover must have been quite an important Saxon centre as there have been some spectacular local Anglo-Saxon finds, including the Priory Hill Brooch, the Old Park Silver Gilt Horn Mount and the Buckland Anglo Saxon Cemetery. Many of these are now on display at the museum, including a selection of the finds from the 400 Saxon graves excavated at Buckland in 1951 and 1994