Magnet fisherman left ‘stunned’ after plucking over 400-year-old Civil War sword from the murky depths of the River Stour
- Stephen Hill, 29, found the sword during a search in the River Stour in Dorset
A magnet fisherman has been left ‘stunned’ after finding a 400-year-old sword in the depths of a murky river.
Stephen Hill pulled the three-foot-long sword up from the River Stour in Dorset as he searched the water for relics.
He believes the perfectly intact sword – 3 feet long from pommel to tip – may date from the Civil War in the 17th century and may have belonged to a cavalryman.
The 29-year-old has registered the item with his local finds contact and it will be thoroughly examined to determine its importance and value.
Mr Hill was magnet fishing on the banks of the River Stour near Sturminster Newton when he made the discovery.
Stephen Hill is pictured admiring the 400-year-old sword he found in the River Stour
The perfectly intact relic – 3 feet long from pommel to tip – may date from the Civil War
He said: ‘I knew I had something on the magnet, at first I thought it was a piece of rebar or scaffolding, which is quite common.
“Then I saw the crossguard and I was a bit stunned, I knew this was something special.”
Mr Hill, from Dorchester, has been magnet fishing for about five years and has a passion for history.
He said: ‘I estimate that the sword is four to six hundred years old and may be some kind of cavalry sword.
“A few amateur historians have seen it and said it has a single cutting edge and what appears to have possibly been a basket hilt that has since rusted away during the time it has been in the water.
‘This would indicate that it may be from the Civil War period used by the cavalry.
‘I have not attempted to clean it as it is very delicate, but once it is done it can reveal further information about a date and possibly even help link it to a battle or individual.
He thought it was a scaffold, but realized it was a sword when he saw the crossguard
The sword was found by Mr Hill while magnet fishing in the river in Dorset
‘I have contacted the Finds Liaison Officer and will know more when they contact me.’
‘This is why I started magnet fishing, for these kinds of unique discoveries, it was exciting.’
Mr Hill documents all his finds with his own YouTube channel and has previously discovered several explosives.
His finds include World War I grenades with the pin still in them and an anti-tank grenade that the bomber was called upon to detonate the find earlier this year.
He regularly fishes with a powerful magnet, which he normally uses to collect bottles, glass and rubbish from the river.
But he hopes the sword will reach the Dorset Museum once experts have analyzed the sword.