51151 MEDIEVAL FINDS DREDGED UP FROM THE RIVER WITHAM NEAR BARDNEY (TF1169 AREA) AND BARDNEY ABBEY (TF1170 AREA) IN 1787-8 INCLUDE AT LEAST THREE SWORDS AND A CROSSBOW BOLT. PART OF THE DEAN AND CHAPTER'S COLLECTION, TRANSFERED TO CITY AND COUNTY MUSEUM IN 1906. {1} A SWORD FOUND IN THE WITHAM NEAR BARDNEY ABBEY IN 1787. IT WAS BROKEN WHEN FOUND AND WAS CRUDELY REWELDED BY A BLACKSMITH WHO AS A RESULT RENDERED ILLEGIBLE AN INSCRIPTION INSET INTO THE BLADE PART OF WHICH READS '...II... IHICIHICIH...'. LENGTH 35.8' (0.91M). THE FULLER RUNS ALMOST THE WHOLE LENGTH OF THE BLADE, WHILE THE QUILLONS ARE SHORT AND STRAIGHT, AND THE POMMEL LARGE AND IN THE FORM OF A FLAT DISC. DATE PROBABLY THE LAST HALF OF THE C12. NOW IN CITY AND COUNTY MUSEUM. {2}{3} THE LONGEST OF THE MEDIEVAL SWORDS FROM THE WITHAM WAS FOUND NEAR BARDNEY ABBEY IN 1788. IT HAS STRAIGHT QUILLONS, A VERY BROAD FULLER, AND A WHEEL POMMEL OF BRONZE. THE UNINSCRIBED BLADE IS UNUSUALLY BROAD, TAPERING GRADUALLY TO A NARROW POINT. THIS SUGGESTS THAT THE SWORD WAS MORE EFFECTIVE FOR STABBING THAN CUTTING. TOTAL LENGTH 40.8' (1.036M). NOW IN CITY AND COUNTY MUSEUM. {2}{4} A MID C14 SWORD FOUND NEAR BARDNEY IN 1787. THE QUILLONS, PIERCED WITH QUATREFOILS AT EITHER END (ONE BROKEN AWAY) ARE EXCESSIVELY WIDE FOR THE VERY SHORT HILT WHICH SURVIVES, AND THE WHEEL POMMEL HAS EVERY APPEARANCE OF BEING FORCED ON TO A BROKEN END - VERY PROBABLY THE HILT HAD BEEN SNAPPED OFF AND THE PRESENT ARRANGEMENT REPRESENTS A CLUMSY REPAIR. INLAID ALONG THE FULLER IN BRASS WIRE ARE ON ONE SIDE THREE MALTESE CROSSES AND ON THE OTHER TWO MALTESE CROSSES FLANKING THREE CAPITAL 'N's WITH TWO LOZENGES BETWEEN. TOTAL LENGTH 39.4inches (1M). THIS SWORD REMAINED IN PRIVATE HANDS UNTIL 1956. NOW IN CITY AND COUNTY MUSEUM. {2}{5}