A rare medieval bishop’s ring, dating from the late 12th or early 13th century, is set to be auctioned at Noonans Mayfair

The ring, adorned with its original gemstones, is expected to fetch between £15000 and £18000.

A rare medieval bishop’s ring, dating from the late 12th or early 13th century, and discovered in excellent condition with its original gemstones, is set to be auctioned at Noonans Mayfair on March 26, 2025. The gold ring is expected to sell for £15,000-18,000.

The ring was discovered by Mark Sell, 63, a retired firefighter, while metal detecting with a friend in a field on King Row, in the village of Shipdham, on November 22, 19, around 4:30 pm. Having been on the field a couple of times before but not finding anything of importance, Sell had been detecting for a couple of hours with his friend, using his XP Deus metal detector.

Just before it started to go dark, Sell got a faint signal and dug down about nine inches to find what has to be the best item he has found so far. He was amazed to see a thin line of gold in the clod of mud that he had dug up, and as he wiped away the mud, he could see the bezel of a medieval gold jewelled ring. He could also see that the ring was complete with all of the original jewels still in place and was in pristine condition.

Sell immediately contacted the landowner, who gave him permission to keep the ring. He then took it to his local Finds Liaison Officer, who in turn contacted the British Museum and Norwich Castle Museum. Both museums were involved in the treasure process, with the ring being displayed temporarily at the British Museum and Norwich Castle expressing interest in acquiring the ring for their permanent collection.

Experts at Noonans later examined the ring, confirming its extreme rarity and historical importance. The ring fits within a well-documented tradition of medieval ecclesiastical jewellery. This form of medieval ring, with a principal cabochon stone, usually a sapphire, surrounded by smaller collet-set satellite stones (garnets or rubies, and emeralds), can be securely dated to the late 12th or early 13th century, and is associated with the bishopric.

Similar rings have been linked to high-ranking medieval clergy, such as Walter de Gray, Archbishop of York from 1215 until his death in 1255. De Gray’s ring is now on display at York Minster. Other comparable rings include those of the Bishop of Chichester and the Whithorn Cathedral ring.

The village of Shipdham, central Norfolk, was well established by the time of the Norman Conquest, and is extensively detailed in the Domesday Book of 1086, when it was one of the largest 20% of settlements in England. During the reign of Henry III (1207–1272), the Bishop of Ely built a manor house at Shipdham, the moat in evidence on 19th-century maps.

Also of importance during the medieval period, this area contained a Royal deer park, owned by the See of Ely. The park, composed of Little Haw and West Haw, was in existence by 1277 but passed into the hands of the Wodehouse family between 1561 and 1584. All Saints Church, Shipdham, dates from the 12th century.

The church is a vast and rambling structure in the Early English style, with a tower that rises to a height of 108 feet. It was restored in 1873 by the noted Gothic Revival architect William Butterfield.

The church contains a monument to Sir John Wodehouse, displaying his figure in plate armour, while his two wives kneel in prayer at his feet. A 16th-century tapestry and stained-glass windows by C.W. Eden are among the other noteworthy features.

A magnificent example of a rare medieval bishop’s ring is set to be auctioned at Noonans Mayfair on March 26, 2025. Discovered in excellent condition with its original gemstones, the gold ring is expected to sell for £15,000-18,000.

The ring was discovered by metal detectorist Mark Sell in November 2019, while searching a field on King Row, in the village of Shipdham, where the monks of Ely had a hunting lodge and a deer park. It is the highlight of Sell’s detecting career, having found some interesting things before but nothing as "best" as this.

The stunning ring is richly decorated with a large cabochon sapphire, which is the central focus of the ring's design, surrounded by smaller cabochon garnets, rubies, and emeralds that are set in a collet setting.

The small cabochon stones are arranged in a circle around the sapphire, creating a repeating pattern of red and green that is both visually appealing and harmonious.