Rare medieval ring dug up in Winsley
A very unusual finger ring dug up in a lavender patch in Winsley has been identified by Katie Hinds and Nick Griffiths of Salisbury & South Wiltshire Museum as a medieval copper alloy finger ring from 1485- 1600 that may have been worn by someone with connections to the Yorkists/Richard III.
Discovered earlier this summer, the distinctive ring has two hands clasped in troth (faith) on one side and a mounted rose with a crowned heart at its centre on the other. From its size, it’s believed it probably have been worn by a man. “The mount has clearly been added at a later date than the original date of the finger ring itself, though this may not be a huge number of years,” said Katie Hinds. “It is just possible that the rose represents Yorkist/Richard III connections/ support and would have been worn on the inside of the finger to hide this from view, in which case it could be a mourning ring.”
The ring has since been listed on the Portable Antiquities Scheme database.