In addition to displaying items from the Staffordshire hoard Tamworth Castle also has on display the Glascote Torc.

The Glascote Torc is an Iron Age, gold, silver and copper ally torc, probably dating from the 5th-4th century BC. The Torc was found in 1943 by Mr S. G. bates and Mr G. E. Croshaw whilst digging a drainage ditch in Glascote boat yard next to the Coventry Canal between Glascote and Amington.

In 1970 when Mrs G Bates read an article on ancient torcs she realised the significance of the gold band the family had in a box in their attic.

During our visit to Tamworth castle a descendent of the family told us personal family anecdotes about the the Torc before they family, after reading the newspaper article, realised it had historical significance.

Following this discovery the Torc was held and displayed in The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. After many years of campaigning, in 2025 the Torc has returned home, on loan to Tamworth Castle. It is displayed in a gallery next to the Staffordshire Hoard.

No photography is allowed of the Staffordshire Hoard or the Torc. The picture above shows the replica of the Torc made in 2007.

We recently learned via a random YouTube video that Tamworth Castle holds some pieces from the Staffordshire Hoard. On a sunny Sunday afternoon we took the opportunity to visit the castle which has a lot more to offer in addition to the Staffordshire Hoard. Tamworth Castle covers almost 1000 years of history from its early Anglo-Saxon roots to its life as a museum today.

You can find out about life at the castle throughout the eras, including Medieval, Tudor and Victorian, as you explore its many rooms, chambers and corridors – just beware of the dungeon and the haunted bedroom!

The castle’s walls hold a wealth of stories and legends, from expelled nuns to royal visits and you can discover them all as you step back through time.

Our newest exhibition ‘Battle and Tribute’ focuses on Tamworth’s Anglo-Saxon heritage as the capital of the ancient kingdom of Mercia, where you can get a close up look at exquisite pieces from the Staffordshire Hoard.

It seems a lifetime ago since we took my Father in Law to Middleton Hall for Fathers Day last year. We had lunch in the courtyard coffee shop be exploring the hall and gardens.

The history of the hall spans over 1000 years:

Our history spans over 1,000 years so this means that we have a lot of stories to tell. Over the centuries the Hall has grown and changed as have the people that have called this place home. During your visit you will meet the commander of the Norman cavalry at the Battle of Hastings; a Medieval Lord who escaped a prison sentence; a Tudor explorer who died whilst trying to find a North-East passage to China; our two famous seventeenth-century naturalists; A Duchess renowned for her love of music and of course our team of volunteers who have spent the last 40 years restoring and caring for our Hall. The buildings themselves tell their own fascinating story, of construction styles from the Medieval through to the Georgian period and therefore changes in the methods and materials used.

Our eighteenth-century Walled Garden boasts original heated walls which are amongst the oldest of their kind date from the eighteenth-century and also an original bothy. The Georgian bed design is planted full of flowers loved by pollinators over the summer months. Within the walls is also our herb garden, dedicated to our two famous naturalists John Ray and Francis Willughby and our working Smithy. Our gardens also contain a heritage orchard, short lakeside walk through seasonal displays of snowdrops, daffodils and bluebells, and our West Lawn upon which you can while away the hours playing croquet.