South West Heritage Trust, Valley Arts, and Bath & North East Somerset Council have announced Every Coin Tells a Story, a free, family-friendly celebration of the Chew Valley Hoard.
The Chew Valley Hoard acquisition and engagement programme is supported by funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The event, which will take place on Saturday, June 20, at the Old School Rooms, Chew Magna, from 10am to 4pm, is further supported by Arts Council England and Bristol Water.
It will be the first opportunity to see coins from the Chew Valley Hoard in the South West, close to where they were originally buried nearly a thousand years ago. The Chew Valley Hoard comprises 2,584 silver coins dating from c. 1067–1068 and represent Harold II, the last crowned Saxon King, and William the Conqueror. 
Every Coin Tells a Story forms part of a wider collaborative programme by Valley Arts and South West Heritage Trust, which seeks to connect communities with their local heritage through creative engagement and interpretation. The project culminates in the performance of a community play called Finders Keepers on July 18 -19 at Yeo Valley Organic Garden, Blagdon.
South West Heritage Trust Head of Museums and Engagement Estelle Gilbert said: “This event represents a key moment in the Chew Valley Hoard Project, highlighting the power of partnership working in bringing heritage to wider audiences and ensuring local communities can connect meaningfully with their past.”
Geraldine Hill-Male, Valley Arts Chair, said: “Valley Arts exists to bring exceptional cultural events to the Chew Valley, and it doesn’t get much more exceptional than this. On 20 June, some of the most extraordinary coins ever found in Britain are coming home, right here in Chew Magna, free for everyone to see. We’re very excited!”
The Every Coin Tells a Story event offers a wide range of activities designed to appeal to all ages, including hands-on workshops, live performances, and opportunities to explore the historical context of the hoard including talks by South West Heritage Trust Senior Curator Amal Khreisheh.
Drop-in activities running throughout the day include screen printing inspired by historic coin designs, coin embossing with artist Giuliana Terran, macro photography, add your face to a digital coin design, a medieval-themed dress-up area, and a treasure trail.
The Chew Valley Hoard was acquired by the South West Heritage Trust for the Somerset Council museum collection under the Treasure Act 1996 thanks to major funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Art Fund and smaller but vital amounts of funding from South West Heritage Trust, Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society and the Friends of the Museum of Somerset.
Every Coin Tells a Story is a free, drop-in day. For more information visit swheritage.org.uk
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