The following list of swords is not comprehensive and only represents those currently known to the author. They have been categorised using Wheelers typology. Low quality images have been included to assist with identification and it is not the authors intention to infringe any copyrights by doing so.
The swords in this catalogue only include sword found in England, Scotland, Wales and surrounding isles. It does not include swords from Ireland. The swords listed here were not all made in Britain, many of them being made in Scandinavia or main land Europe. In the same way it is not a list of swords possibly made in England as many examples of these have been found all over Europe.
A number of pommels have been discovered on the PAS website. Not all of them have been incorporated in this list. If you want a fuller list than what is presented here to search the PAS database.
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Scotland, Dumfries and Galloway, St. Cuthbert’s Churchyard
- Current Location- Kirkcudbrightshire Museum no. 2050
- Type- Grave find – undated
- Find Date- Unknown
- Total Length- 80cm (broken)
- Blade- Double edged. Length 70cm (broken so probably longer), width 6cm.
- Hilt- Like R.489. Portions of wooden handle.
- Scabbard- Parts of wood remain.
- Bibliography- [GRIEG 1940:p.13]
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No Picture
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England, Cumbria, Rampside Churchyard
- Current Location- Municipal Museum, Barrow-in-Furness BAWMS.09000
- Type- Grave find (in a Christian Churchyard). 850-900AD.
- Find Date- 1909
- Total Length- ?
- Blade- 40cm survives, single-edged.
- Hilt- Petersen type M, Wheeler type I
- Scabbard- fragments of iron imregnated wood were found
- Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.18] [EDWARDS 1998:p.21] [RICHARDS 2004:p.191]
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No Picture
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England, Cumbria, Ormside, Appleby-in-Westmoreland
- Current Location- Tullie House Museum
- Type- Grave find. 850-900AD.
- Find Date- before 1898
- Total Length- 35.5” (Complete?)
- Blade- Length 31” (79cm)
- Hilt- Petersen type M, Wheeler type I
- Scabbard- none
- Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.18] [RICHARDS 2004:p.191]
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England, Yorkshire, York, Clifford Street
- Current Location- Yorkshire Museum
- Type- Unknown
- Find Date- Unknown
- Total Length- N/A
- Blade- Missing
- Hilt- Petersen type M?. Only the undecorated guard of whale bone survives.
- Scabbard- none
- Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.96] [ROESDAHL 1981:p.114 YAB30] [MacGREGOR 1985:p.167] [ROGERS 1993:p.1431]
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No Picture
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Isle of Man, Balladoyne Churchyard, St. Johns
- Current Location- Manx Museum
- Type- Grave find (in a Christian Churchyard). Undated.
- Find Date- Unknown
- Total Length- 32” (possible about 4” missing)
- Blade- no information
- Hilt- Petersen type M, Wheeler type I. No ornament. Part of the wooden grip remains.
- Scabbard- None
- Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.26]
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England, Derbyshire, Repton (M)
- Current Location- Derby Museum
- Type- Grave find c.873AD
- Find Date- 1986?
- Total Length- 89.7cm
- Blade- length 77.3cm, width 6.2cm.
- Hilt- Petersen type M. grip constructed of strips covered in tabby weave textile.
- Scabbard- made from two lengths of wood, lined with hairy skin. Outside covered in leather.
- Bibliography- [BIDDLE and KJBLBYE-BIDDLE 1992:p.49]
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England, Berkshire, Reading
- Current Location-
- Blade-
- Hilt- Pommel missing. Hilt and guard decorated in gripping beasts.
- Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.11] [EAST nd:p.2]
- Comments- Rediscovered after 150 years after being considered lost. Made between c.750AD but probably buried just after 800AD.
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England, London, River Thames, Waterloo Bridge
- Current Location- London Museum A 3670. Was previously in the Laking collection.
- Type- River find, C9th
- Find Date- Unknown
- Total Length- (part of blade missing)
- Blade- no information
- Hilt- Classed by Wheeler as type I, by Bjorn as Type H? Both guards are striped with brass inlay. Bjorn considers the pommel to be missing?
- Scabbard- none
- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.36] [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.78] [WILSON 1965:p.52 (no.21)]
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England, London River Thames, ‘near London’
- Current Location- London Museum A 17923
- Type- River find, Not before 900AD.
- Find Date- Unknown
- Total Length- (part of blade missing)
- Blade- no information
- Hilt- Petersen type M, Wheeler type I. Part of a wooden handle survives, covered in a course linen.
- Scabbard- none
- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.36] [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.78] [WILSON 1965:p.52 (no.22)]
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Scotland, Argyll and Bute, Bute
- Current Location- Bute Natural Museum
- Type- Unknown
- Find date- before 1911
- Total length- 17.3cm (blade and pommel missing)
- Blade- 3cm remaining attached to hilt and 6 other iron fragments. Width 5.5cm.
- Hilt- like Petersen fig.85 (Type H). pommel missing. Small remains of wood still attached to tang.
- Scabbard- remains of wood still attached to two of the blade fragments
- Bibliography- [GRIEG 1940:p.165]
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Scotland, Argyll and Bute, Islay
- Current Location- Lost
- Type- Unknown
- Find date- before 1776
- Total length-
- Blade-
- Hilt- like Rygh 494. Pommel cap missing. The upper and lower cross-pieces were once plated with copper or bronze ribs.
- Scabbard-
- Bibliography- [PENNANT 1776:pl. XLIV] [ANDERSON 1872:p.567 no.4] [GRIEG 1940:p.165] [GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 2004:p.211-222 fig.4]
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Scotland, Orkney, Scar
- Current Location-
- Type- Boat Burial More information…
- Find date- 1991
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type H
- Scabbard-
- Bibliography- [OWEN and DALLAND 1999:p.108]
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Scotland, Orkney, Rousay, Sweindrow
- Current Location- National Museum of Scotland I.L. 191-192
- Type- Unknown. Found by ploughing.
- Find Date- 1826
- Blade- Double edged. About 9 fragments of the blade are preserved.
- Hilt- type Rygh 494 but with bronze ferrules. The bronze ferrules are adorned with stamped Triangles
- Scabbard - Some remains of wood are attached by rust to the blade, probably remains of the scabbard
- Bibliography- [ANDERSON 1872:p.564] [GRIEG 1940: p.89-90]
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Scotland, Argyll and Bute, Islay, Ballinaby
- Current Location- National Museum of Scotland
- Type- Grave Find
- Find date- 1878
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type H (like Rygh 494). Parts of wooden group survive. No metal mountings.
- Scabbard- Possible a little of the scabbard survives
- Bibliography- [GRIEG 1940:p.31-32] [ANDERSON 1879:p.51]
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No Picture
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England, Derbyshire, Ingleby mound 7
- Current Location-
- Type- Grave Find
- Find date- 1948
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type H.
- Scabbard-
- Bibliography- [RICHARDS 1995:p.54, 69] [RICHARDS 2004:p.191, 196]
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England, Hertfordshire, River Lea, Enfield
- Current Location Prince Ladislaus Odescalchi Collection, Rome.
- Type- from a possible boat burial
- Find date-
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type C
- Scabbard-
- Bibliography- [LAKING 1920:p.16] [WHEELER 1927:p.34, 53] [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.12,60] [OAKESHOTT 1960:p135] [WILSON 1965:p52(no.7)]
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England, London, River Thames, Vauxhall (H)
- Current Location- London Museum 13591
- Type-
- Find date-
- Blade- Fragmentary
- Hilt- Petersen type H. The hilt has traces of brass inlay. The pommel is missing
- Scabbard-
- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.37] [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.81]
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No Picture
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England, London, River Thames, Mortlake
- Current Location- ?
- Type-
- Find date-
- Blade- single-edged
- Hilt- none but Oakeshott suggests that this blade may have belonged to a type II sword.
- Scabbard-
- Bibliography- [OAKESHOTT 1960:p135]
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Scotland, Highland, Ardnamurchan, Swordle Bay
- Current Location-
- Type- Boat Burial. Late C10th / early C11th
- Find date- 2011
- Total length- 75cm (fragmentary)
- Blade- width 6.46cm
- Hilt- Petersen type K (or possibly P). Bronze. Guard decorated with silver and copper alloy. Silver wire separating the 5 lobes. The grip is of bone, antler or ivory with a bronze core.
- Scabbard-
- Bibliography- [HARRIS, COBB, GRAY and RICHARDSON 2011:p.17, 38]
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England, York Coppergate (K)
- Current Location- Yorkshire Museum
- Type-
- Find date-
- Blade- Missing
- Hilt- Petersen type K. Whalebone pommel
- Scabbard- None
- Bibliography- [MacGREGOR 1999:p.1945]
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England, Essex, Colchester
- Current Location- Returned to finder
- Type- Metal Detector
- Find date- 1979
- Blade- half missing
- Hilt- Petersen type K.
- Scabbard- None
- Bibliography- PAS
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No Picture
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England, Berkshire, River Kennet, Reading
- Current Location-
- Type- River Find
- Find date-
- Blade- Point missing 25.5” long
- Hilt- Petersen type O or K? Rivet hole hence cap missing. Remaining fragments of oak grip.
- Scabbard- Part of an oak? scabbard is also still attached to the blade.
- Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.58] [WILSON 1965:p.52 (no.25)]
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England, London, Fetter Lane
- Current Location- British Museum. c.800AD?
- Type-
- Find date-
- Blade- None
- Hilt- Gilt silver pommel with nielloed engraved pattern
- Scabbard-
- Bibliography- [OAKESHOTT 1960:p.136] [DAVIDSON 1962:Pl.III no.b,c] [WHEELER 1927 p.53]
British Museum
- Comments- the BM website dates this pommel to the late C8th and Wheeler dates it to c.800AD.
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Scotland, Dumfries and Galloway, Ecclefechan
- Current Location- National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh I.L. 340
- Type-
- Find date- 1913
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L (like Petersen p.116, fig.97a)
- Scabbard-
- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.35] [GRIEG 1940:p.13,16]
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England, Lancashire, Inskip
- Current Location-
- Type-
- Find date- 1889
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L?
- Scabbard-
- Bibliography- [EDWARDS 1998:p.20]
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England, Durham, Hurbuck
- Current Location- British Museum
- Type-
- Find date-
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Scabbard-
- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.35][PEIRCE 2002:p.76]
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England, Yorkshire, Gilling West
- Current Location-
- Type-
- Find date-
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Scabbard-
- Bibliography- [THOMPSON 2004:p.109] [ROESDAHL 1981:p.44] [WATKIN 1986:p.93-99]
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England, Yorkshire, Ingleton, Scales Moor
- Current Location- British Museum BM 1944,0301.1
- Type-
- Find date-
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Scabbard-
- Bibliography- [WILSON 1964:p.165-166 no.65]
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England, Yorkshire, Wensley Churchyard
- Current Location- British Museum: 1965,0703.1
- Type- Burial
- Find date-
- Total length- 81.5cm (tip of blade missing)
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Scabbard-
- Bibliography- [THOMPSON 2004:p.110] [DAVIDSON 1962:p54 pl.XI no.71] [WILSON 1965: no.9] [RICHARDS 2004:p.191] British Museum
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England, Yorkshire, Acomb
- Current Location-
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [YOUNG 1984][ROGERS 1993:p.1431]
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England, Yorkshire, Bedale
- Current Location- British Museum
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.35]
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England, Yorkshire, Bedale Hoard
- Current Location-
- Find Date- 2012
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- PAS
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England, Yorkshire, York, Coppergate (L)
- Current Location-
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [OTTAWAY 1992:p.3943]
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England, Yorkshire, York, Fishergate (L1)
- Current Location-
- Blade- None
- Hilt- Petersen type L. Only the pommel survives.
- Bibliography- [ROGERS 1993:p.1432]
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England, Yorkshire, York, Fishergate (L2)
- Current Location-
- Blade- None
- Hilt- Petersen type L. Only the Cross guard survives.
- Bibliography- [ROGERS 1993:p.1432]
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Isle of Man, Ballaugh
- Current Location-
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.35][BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.22][WILSON 2008:p.54]
- Comments-
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Isle of Man, St. Maughold
- Current Location-
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.35][BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.23]
- Comments- missing pommel
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England, Nottinghamshire, Nottingham (L)
- Current Location-
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.35]
- Comments- Wheeler identifies this sword as probably being this type but states that the sword is damaged.
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England, Derbyshire, Repton (L)
- Current Location-
- Type- found in the midst of a large collection of human bones
- Find date- 1839
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [BIGSBY 1854:p.251-252] [BIDDLE and KJBLBYE-BIDDLE 1992:p.39-40]
- Comments- Was not recognised as Viking until the 1980’s.
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England, Lincolnshire, River Witham, Fiskerton
- Current Location- Sheffield City Museum J. 1954.3
- Type- River find
- Find date-
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [DAVIDSON 1962:p.54 & pl.X no.66] [WILSON 1965:p.34 no.2 (no.7)]
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England, Cambridgeshire, Hauxton Mill
- Current Location-
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.35]
- Comments-
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England, Norfolk, River Wensum, Norwich
- Current Location- British Museum (54, 11-7, 12)
- Type-
- Find date- presented to the BM in 1854
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.35][MARGESEN 1997:p.10-11] [WILSON 1965: no.8]
- Comments- Unknown find date. Presented to the BM in 1854.
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England, Norfolk, Gooderstone
- Current Location-
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [WILSON 1965: no.3]
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England, Norfolk, Santon Downham
- Current Location-
- Total length- 79.5cm
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.35][BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.12,13] [RICHARDS 2004:p.191]British Museum
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England, Suffolk, Kersey
- Current Location-
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [WILSON 1965: no.5]
- Comments-
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England, Oxfordshire, Abingdon
- Current Location-
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [THOMPSON 2004:p.112][WILSON 1965:p52(no.1)]
- Comments-
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England, Oxfordshire, Wallingford Bridge
- Current Location- Ashmolean Museum
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.35][THOMPSON 2004:p.113]
- Comments-
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England, London, River Thames, Westminster
- Current Location- Ashmolean Museum
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.35][LAKING 1920:fig.15c] [DAVIDSON 1962:p54] [WILSON 1965:p.52 (no.x)]
- Comments-
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England, London, River Thames, Windsor
- Current Location- British Museum
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.35]
- Comments-
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England, London, River Thames (L)
- Current Location- British Museum
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.35]
- Comments-
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Unprovenanced
- Current Location-
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [WILSON 1965: no.13]
- Comments-
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Yorkshire, York, Camphill
- Current Location-
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.15]
- Comments- missing pommel
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Lincs, River Witham, Lincoln
- Current Location- British Museum
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [PEIRCE 2002:p.77] [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.71] [DAVIDSON 1962:p.56] [OAKESHOTT 1960:p.134] [3]
- Comments- missing pommel
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Norfolk, Mileham
- Current Location-
- Blade-
- Hilt-
- Bibliography- [WILSON 1965: no.7]
- Comments-
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London, River Thames, Staines
- Current Location-
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.37]
- Comments-
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London, River Thames, Shifford
- Current Location-
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [THOMPSON 2004:p.114] [DAVIDSON 1962:p.56]
- Comments-
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London, River Thames, Brentford
- Current Location-
- Blade-
- Hilt-
- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.37] [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.78] [WILSON 1965:p52(no.3)]
- Comments-
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London, River Thames, off the Temple
- Current Location-
- Blade-
- Hilt-
- Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.78,80] [DAVIDSON 1962:p.56]
- Comments-
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London, River Thames, Kings Reach
- Current Location-
- Blade-
- Hilt- Petersen type L
- Bibliography- [PEIRCE 2002:p.80]
- Comments-
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London, River Thames, Vauxhall, Wandsworth Reach
- Current Location-
- Blade-
- Hilt-
- Bibliography- [LAKING 1920:fig.15d] [WHEELER 1927:p.37] [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.78] [WILSON 1965:p.52 (no.20)]
- Comments- Wilson quotes Laking fig.15d as being from Vauxhall. The tip of the sword is from another find from Putney Reach.
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No Picture
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Lancs, Witherslack
- Current Location- Lost
- Type- Possible grave find
- Find Date- 1902-03
- Total Length: 80cm
- Blade- bent
- Hilt- 8cm
- Scabbard- description of the find suggests that it was found in its scabbard
- Bibliography- [EDWARDS 1998:p.21]
- Comments-
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No Picture
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England, Cumbria, Witherslack
- Current Location- Kendal Museum
- Type- Possible grave find
- Find Date- C19th
- Total Length-
- Blade-
- Hilt-
- Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.74] [EDWARDS 1998:p.22]
- Comments-
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No Picture
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England, Lancashire, Eaglesfield
- Current Location- University of Newcastle, Museum of Antiquities
- Type- Possible grave find
- Find Date-
- Total Length-
- Blade-
- Hilt-
- Scabbard
- Bibliography- [EDWARDS 1992:p.28]
- Comments-
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No Picture
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England, Nottinghamshire, Nottingham
- Current Location-
- Type-
- Find Date-
- Total Length-
- Blade- None
- Hilt- Only a pommel
- Scabbard-
- Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.15]
- Comments-
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No Picture
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England, London, River Thames
- Current Location- Tullie House Museum, Carlisle
- Type-
- Find Date-
- Total Length-
- Blade-
- Hilt-
- Scabbard-
- Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.81]
- Comments-
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No Picture
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England, London, River Thames, Vauxhall
- Current Location-
- Type-
- Find Date-
- Total Length-
- Blade-
- Hilt- 3 lobed pommel
- Scabbard-
- Bibliography- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940:p.81]
- Comments-
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No Picture
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England, London, River Thames, Vauxhall
- Current Location- Unknown
- Type-
- Find Date-
- Total Length-
- Blade-
- Hilt-
- Scabbard-
- Bibliography- [WHEELER 1927:p.53]
- Comments- Wheeler only mentions ‘Information from Mr G. F. Lawrence’
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ADAMS1974
ANDERSON1872
ANDERSON1879
BERSU1966
BIDDLE1992
BIGSBY1854
BJORN1940
DAVIDSON1962
EDWARDS1992
EDWARDS1998
GRAHAM-CAMPBELL2004
GRIEG1940
HARRIS2011
LAKING1920
MARGESEN1997
MacGREGOR1999
OAKESHOTT1960
OAKESHOTT1991
OTTAWAY1992
OWEN1999
PEIRCE2002
PENNANT1776
RICHARDS1995
RICHARDS2004
ROESDAHL1981
ROGERS1993
THOMPSON2004
WATKIN1986
WILSON1964
WILSON1965
WILSON2008
WHEELER1927
YOUNG1984
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