It was a great day for Furness Abbey on Thursday 27th March 2014. The famous Crozier and ring found in the Presbytery in 2010 finally returned to their home at the Abbey. They will now stay on permanent display in a bespoke cabinet funded by local donations and through the work of Furness Abbey Fellowship.
On the day monks from Iron Shepherds Living History pretended to carry the ancient relics in procession from the Abbey Church of St Mary to their final resting place within the visitor centre. The Crozier and ring have toured the country, displayed in various prestigious venues such as the Wellington Arch in London. The artefacts are of national importance as the Crozier was the first to be found in its original resting place during an archeological dig. Most Croziers held in British Museums were from private collections, not found beneath the ground! It is also very rare to find a burial of this nature with grave goods. When the Crozier was unearthed in 2010 it received press coverage across the country, from BBC and Channel 4 reports to various newspaper and online articles.
The return heralded a celebration for English Heritage and Furness Abbey Fellowship with the unveiling of the new display early in the evening. Everyone took a moment to admire the display and of course the artefacts, happy to see it back where it came from.
In the cabinet, along with the Crozier and ring, is part of the wooden shaft, which the Crozier once adorned, and the metal bottom to the shaft. Brand new interpretation boards fill the wall next to the case, packed with information and images about the significants of the discovery. You can also see the Crozier and ring with their original owner in a picture from when the burial was discovered.
