A METAL detectorist who is no stranger to fascinating discoveries has had another finding classified as treasure - this time uncovering evidence from the Viking era. 

John Hocknell, of Walney, uncovered Bronze Age weapons and tools in a Rampside field in December 2013. 

The items, which included the remains of axes, knives, and gauges, were declared treasure in May last year and were named the Rampside Hoard. 

That was in addition to a separate discovery the previous year. And now it has been confirmed a finding on August 17 this year is also of real historical significance.

The 43-year-old electrician, of Vickerstown, Walney, uncovered two pieces of Viking hacksilver - which were fragments of cut and bent silver items treated as bullion. 

They date to the 9th or 10th century AD. 

An inquest in Barrow Town Hall last week heard that Mr Hocknell, who only took up metal detecting around four years ago, found them in Roosecote. 

A specific location cannot be disclosed, but they were located within half a metre of each other. 

After reading a report from the British Museum, Mr Robert Chapman, assistant Cumbria coroner, concluded they were treasure. 

The first item is a terminal of an irregular, bar-shaped ingot, weighing 14.79g. 

The second is a fragment of silver probably from the terminal of a broad-band arm-ring with a sub-rectangular section, weighing 10.64g. 

An example of that type was found in the Silverdale Hoard (a collection of more than 200 pieces of silver jewellery and coins discovered in 2011) and in the Cuerdale Hoard (a hoard of more than 8,600 items found in 1840 near Preston). 

Referring to a report from the British Museum, Mr Chapman said broad-band arm-rings were developed in Ireland from Danish prototypes in the later 9th century and continued in general circulation until around AD 930/40. 

He added: "Such arm-rings could have been used for the storage and circulation of silver in a bullion economy, although they could also have been worn as symbols of status. 

"A number of comparable Viking hoards have been recorded from 10th-century England, although typically they date from the first three decades of the century, around or before the unification of England under Athelstan in AD 927." 

The items are in the British Museum, but Mr Chapman said he understood the Dock Museum had expressed an interest in acquiring it.

Despite his prolific record, Mr Hocknell, who has also found single items from the Bronze Age, said: "It's just a matter of luck, really. 

"I can't say it's a matter of targeting the right areas, because all of those finds have been made, I wouldn't say by accident, but you weren't expecting them to be there. 

"You basically search the land that you get the opportunity to go on in the hope that there might be something decent. 

"And if it turns out to be quiet, you move on to the next place and keep moving round."

Based on his research, Mr Hocknell said recent discoveries were bucking a trend. 

He said: "When you read any local history books on Barrow and Low Furness, there's very little written about it. 

"We're quite lucky to find new stuff really. And I was told that the first tool hoard I found could change the perspective of the history of Low Furness and what happened here, because there weren't any major recordings of that sort of possible settlement listed at the time.

"Now there is more stuff coming up and it's painting a more detailed picture of what would've been here."

Viking era discoveries have also been few and far between. 

He said: "Basically, there's been a void in Viking finds around here until recently, and it's down to a lot of the metal detectorists' finds that's bringing things to light. 

"We might not be very popular with archaeologists, but I would say, without the initial metal detecting work highlighting these areas, a lot of this stuff is going to be missed.

"So it is good, and for somewhere that was generally a sleepy backwater where nothing ever happened, there is certainly stuff happening now."