WHEN the curators of a museum offered people the chance to bring in intriguing objects they had found in the countryside to be identified by experts they did not expect such a treasure trove to turn up.

The finds day' at Bradford on Avon Museum on Saturday was the most successful one ever run in Wiltshire with 111 pre-1700 objects brought in and another 250 items dating from 1700 onwards.

One of the most interesting finds was an extraordinary spearhead that had been found in a garden in Trowbridge 50 years ago.

Another was a 16th century pied de biche' or hind's foot spoon that had been found near the foundations of the Saxon Church in Bradford on Avon. Other items included a cannonball, a 16th century sword belt fitting, a hammered silver coin, a selection of Roman coins, a Roman bracelet and prehistoric pottery.

Roger Clark, honourary curator of Bradford on Avon Museum, said: "The range of objects was amazing.

"We were hoping for some clay pipes, Roman bits and pieces and the odd flint but certainly weren't expecting the Saxon Church spoon or the spear."

He also said he was hugely grateful to the number of people who donated their finds to the museum, which is above the town's library. Along with Mr Clark, the finds liaison officer at Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum, Katie Hinds, was on hand to identify objects and described the day as absolutely phenomenal'.

She and Mr Clark are fairly confident that the spear is not British and are liaising with an ethnographer at Bristol City Museum to determine where it may have come from.

Another interesting find was a beautiful Anglo Saxon star-shaped glass bead dating from the 5th century that had been found in the Swindon area. There was also a mass of Roman material found by a lady in Bradford on Avon who had been digging a pond, including more than 40 shards of different types of Roman pottery.

A couple from Winlsey brought in lots of clay pipes including a beautiful one featuring a dog's head, some foot patterns and a toy soldier mould.

There were also shards of medieval 12th and 13th century pottery, a group of medieval lead tokens, Neolithic flint tools and fascinating medieval decorated horse harness pieces.

As the day was such a success the organisers are planning another one around Easter next year and are keen to get more children involved next time.

Many of the finds donated to the museum will be on display there in the near future.