SPECTACULAR ROMAN CAVALRY HELMET "COMES HOME" TO NORTHERN ENGLAND

A SPECTACULAR Roman helmet, which was unearthed near the Ancient Roman frontier in Cumbria northern England in 2010 and fetched more than £2 million at auction, has returned "home" to Cumbria to be displayed at Tullie House, Carlisle.

The private owner of the stunning piece of art, called the Crosby Garrett helmet for the place where it was found, finally consented to have the helmet placed on exhibit at Tullie House during the HADRIAN'S CAVALRY SHOW this spring.

It is just the third time the helmet has been on view to the public after it was previously part of a Royal Academy of Arts exhibition in London called "Bronze."

Hilary Wade, director of Tullie House Trust, said it was thanks to the generosity of the anonymous owner that the artefact could be returned to the county it had lain in for 2,000 years. 

"I’m so proud and delighted to have it here. It is an absolutely stunning piece. There's been so much interest in it over the years and people always ask about it and for us to be able put it on show is a fantastic opportunity," she said. "I think there will be a lot of interest and hope we will be getting a lot of visitors."

The rare cavalry helmet was found on farmland by an unemployed graduate in his 20s, using a metal detector with the landowner's consent.

The mask was found intact but the helmet was in 67 fragments and has been painstakingly restored by experts. The bronze ceremonial parade helmet has been hailed by experts as one of the great masterpieces of Roman metalwork.

Tim Padley, curator of archaeology at Tullie House, believes there are many more Roman artefacts to be unearthed in the Eden Valley, but the likes of the Crosby Garrett helmet would be a once-in-a-lifetime find.

He explained that although historians can never be certain why the helmet was found at Crosby Garrett, it was known to be good horse-rearing country, so that could be a link.

There are also people who believe it was captured from the Romans by the natives, but Mr. Padley felt it was more likely to have been a gift.