WE are hoping that readers can do a little detective work and tell the Memories Page what happened to an unusual carved stone head which was dug up almost 70 years ago.

The story of the discovery was spotted by Dan Elsworth, director of Ulverston-based Greenlane Archaeology in a 1949 edition of the Evening Mail.

He said: "I'd be very keen to know where it ended up and if someone has it locally.

The report was published on Wedneday, February 2 in 1949 and noted: "Digging in the garden at his home recently, 12-years-old Harold Gathercole, son of Mr and Mrs J. V. Gathercole, of 9 Ann Street, Dalton, unearthed a sandstone head.

"Ann Street, off Skelgate, is about 300 yards from Dalton Castle, where two heads are missing from amongst the jesters which look down from each corner of the building.

"Yet comparing the head with the jesters it was found that there was no resemblance.

"It may be that the head comes from another part of the castle for there use to be two heads on the western side but these have long since disappeared.

"If the head has any connection with Furness Abbey it would be placed as 400 to 800 years old as the abbey flourished from 1127 till its dissolution in 1537.

"A picture and description of the head are being sent to the British Museum for identification."

If you know what happened to the stone head, get in touch with Bill Myers at the Memories Page on bill.myers@nwemail.co.uk