'Remarkable' Saxon cross goes on display at Leeds museum
The ancient treasure is being seen for the first time in more than 1,200 years
Last updated 3rd Nov 2025
A 'beautiful' Saxon cross has gone on display at a Leeds museum, the first time it will be seen by members of the public in over 1,200 years.
The early medieval pectoral cross may have once belonged to an eighth century church official.
It was made during a time when Leeds was part of the Kingdom of Northumbria.
The silver gilded pendant was discovered by a metal detectorist, with one of its four arms broken and its central stone missing.
It was later secured by the Leeds Museums and Galleries and has now gone on display at the City Museum near The West Yorkshire Hoard, a group of items dating from a similar time period.
Kat Baxter, Leeds Museums and Galleries’ curator of archaeology, said: “Much of archaeology involves visualising how ancient, often incomplete artefacts might have looked and how they may have once been used.
"Seeing these beautiful illustrations recreate how this tiny pendant might have looked is a rare, vivid glimpse into the past.
“Despite its small size, the pendant is a significant find in terms of helping us to build a more complete picture of life in early medieval Leeds, along with other discoveries made locally
“Objects representing less wealthy people are less likely to survive, so we do still have a great deal to learn and discover about the local population and how they lived at what was a fascinating period in the history of Leeds.”