- Stephen Hill, 29, found the sword when searching the River Stour in Dorset
A magnet fisherman has been left ‘gobsmacked’ after he found a 400-year-old sword in the depths of a murky river.
Stephen Hill pulled the 3ft long blade up from the River Stour in Dorset when searching the water for relics.
He believes the perfectly intact sword – 1m in length from pommel to tip – may date back to the Civil War in the 17th century and possibly could have belonged to a cavalryman.
The 29-year-old has logged the item with his local Finds Liaison Officer and it will be properly examined to determine its importance and value.
Mr Hill was magnet fishing on the banks of the River Stour at Sturminster Newton at the time he made the discovery.
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 a common find.
‘Then I saw the cross guard and I was a little gobsmacked, I knew this was something special.’
Mr Hill, from Dorchester, has been magnet fishing for about five years and is passionate about history.
He said: ‘I estimate the sword is four to six hundred years old and is possibly some sort 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 over the time it has been in the water.
‘This would point towards it possibly being from the civil war period used by cavalry.
‘I have not attempted to clean it because it is very delicate but once it is it could reveal further information about a date and possibly even help link it to a battle or individual.
‘I have contacted the Finds Liaison Officer and will know more when they get back to me.’
‘This is the reason why I started magnet fishing, for these kind of once in a lifetime discoveries – it was thrilling.’
With his own YouTube channel, Mr Hill documents all his finds and has previously discovered several explosives.
His finds have included World War One grenades with the pin still in and an anti-tank shell that saw the bomb squad called to detonate the find earlier this year.
He regularly fishes using a high-powered magnet which normally sees him pick up bottles, glass and litter from the river.
But he hopes the sword will make it into the Dorset Museum once experts have analysed the sword.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
