In 1999 a new type of Roman bow brooch was identified by Dr Philpott and named the Wirral brooch. It is very distinctive in design and it is thought that they could perhaps have originated from the Wirral with only a couple of work-shops making them. Not many are known to have been found and most of these have come from metal detectorists. This is a plea for anyone who has a Wirral type brooch which hasn’t been reported to the PAS to do so as I am hoping to make more of an in depth study of them to try and find their origin. It would be nice to prove that the Wirral was a producer of such a nice brooch and show that the North is not always the poor relation of the south in terms of finds.
Most of the brooches have been found in the North West which is one of the reasons for thinking they may be local. They are very distinctive in their design and once you have seen one you will know exactly what to look for.
Characteristics to look out for are -
- Stepped head- often decorated or enamelled
- A rectangular panel with 3 strips infilled with enamel in alternate colours
- A loop on the head of the brooch
- A stud/boss at the waist of the brooch
- The foot consists of 3 or 4 disc-like mouldings, possibly decorated
Here is an example which is almost complete- only the loop and the pin area missing.
