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HIGHAM FERRERS’S FLINT AXE FIND HAD THE EXPERTS GUESSING

“NO USE OF MODERN TOOLS”

The mystery of the ancient flint axe donated to Higham Ferrers Tourism and thought to date back to between 3 450 – 2 000 BC, has been solved.

And questions about whether the axe is a fascinating find – dating from the Neolithic period – and real, or a fabulous fake, have now been laid to rest.

The mystery began when a visitor to Higham Ferrers’s monthly Saturday market gifted a range of treasures to Higham Ferrers Tourism that used to belong to a family who lived and farmed at Chichele College during the days when it was a farm and a farmhouse.

John (Jack) and Rose Thorpe and their children Maud and Ray, lived and farmed at the college with Ray amassing a collection of games and toys, Meccano sets, wooden jigsaw puzzles, letters bearing the original stamps and a variety of other artefacts.

There was one item in the collection that was particularly interesting to Higham Tourism and members of the Higham Ferrers Archaeological Research Society (HiFARS) who meet at Chichele College: and that was the ancient-looking flint axe which was uncovered by Jack Thorpe while ploughing in a local field.

"HiFARS members were jumping up and down with glee about the flint axe,” Carol Fitzgerald, a member of Higham Ferrers Tourism, Chair of the Chichele College Management Committee – a tourism sub-committee – and Secretary of The Friends of St Mary’s, told Northamptonshire Heritage Forum’s recent History Day held in Higham Ferrers’s Hope Methodist Church.

HiFARS member, Professor Sarah Scott, a professor of archaeology at the University of Leicester and Director the University’s Heritage Hub, told the packed History Day audience that she was keen to help research the axe’s origins.

“I wrapped it up in a sock and took it to Chester House (the Archaeology Resource Centre) on the same day that there were two visiting independent scholars who were looking at axes there,” she recalled.

“The question became, was it real or was it a fake as there had been a growing market in forgeries,” she said.

“I thought it would be fantastic to take the axe to the University of Leicester’s state-of-the-art laboratory with its incredible equipment,” she recounted.

Shortly afterwards, a busload of members of Higham Tourism, the Chichele College Management Committee and HiFARS, visited the University’s School of Archaeology and Ancient History where they were told that the “beautifully made” axe was created using good quality material and that it had been made by someone with skill and a knowledge of different materials.

And no modern tools had been used in its manufacture.

Comparative data from different flint stones would still have to be made, the university visitors were told.

While results at that stage were inconclusive – partly because the axe had been well handled – there was still a high chance it dated to the Neolithic Period (from 4000 to 2200 BC).

The still-curious Higham Ferrers party later visited Chester House where every single axe that had ever been found in Northamptonshire was spread out before them.

“And ours was the biggest and the best,” Carol Fitzgerald bragged.

Professor Scott said later that there was not much more research that the experts could do.

So, is it a real Neolithic flint axe?

“There is a very real chance it is: it is not beyond the realms of possibility,” she said.

On show

The flint axe, which is normally held at Chester House, is currently on show at the Northampton Museum & Art Gallery’s “History of Northamptonshire in 100 Objects” exhibition which runs until 22 February 2026.

(A replica was made for History Day).

An illustrated companion book, featuring all 100 objects, has also been produced.

Meanwhile, back in Higham Ferrers, Tourism Committee member Pam Webbley curated a special exhibition at Chichele College profiling the story of the Thorpe family and showcasing the many objects donated to the committee.

October 2025

Schoolgirl gardening guru makes it a double as crowds stream into Higham’s Horticultural Show

Schoolgirl gardener Penny Moth has done it again, scooping the horticultural show’s trophy for the Best Junior Gardener for the second year in a row.

Penny, 9, who has her own 125 square metre allotment – a gift from Santa ─ entered an assortment of vegetables in 13 different classes.

She became something of a gardening star last year when, following her success at the horticultural show, she was filmed working in her allotment by the BBC. This year, as before, she grew everything herself for the show. Everyone was particularly impressed with her prize pumpkins, which she grew from seed.

“I got various awards for my beetroot, tomatoes, cucumber and leeks and entered more categories this time than last year. Yes, I am proud of myself,” she said when quizzed after the judging.

Another local schoolgirl, eight-year-old Freya Goold, was awarded the trophy for the Best Junior Baker with her buttery biscuits, while her mum, Elaine, claimed the title of Best Baker in Show with her attractive prize-winning celebration cake.

One popular new section – knitted and crocheted flowers or vegetables ─ also attracted attention and the trophy for the Best Crafter went to Ena Mackness.

Dominic Mitchell won two trophies ─ for the Best in Show and the Best Fruit ─ while first prize for the Best Vegetable went to James Gell and the Best Flowers trophy went to Brenda Lofthouse.

For the second year, Sue Foster won the cup for creating the Best Preserve and Ruth Bond again clinched the trophy for Best Floral Art.

September 2025

A FASCINATING FIND OR A FABULOUS FAKE AND THE MYSTERY MOUNTS ...

WHEN Higham Ferrers Tourism and its sub-committee Chichele College Management were offered a Stone Age flint axe that had been unearthed in a local field, they jumped at the offer. Always keen to tell stories about historic Higham Ferrers, they knew that the donation would prove an interesting talking point at various exhibitions.

The Town Council was approached by a former resident, Ivan Driver, at last September’s Farmers Market. He told how his boyhood had been spent in Higham Ferrers and that he had several artefacts – including the flint axe – and felt the collection should be returned to the town. Councillor Chris O’Rourke – a member of the Tourism Committee - told him that the committee would be interested in the offer and Carol Fitzgerald, chair of the Chichele College Management Committee, a Tourism sub-committee, agreed and began to consider ways that the artefacts could be shared with the town and kept safe for posterity.

“The flint axe was particularly fascinating. It was found by Jack Thorpe sometime between the world wars. Jack - the father of a close friend of Ivan Driver - lived and farmed at Chichele College in the days when the college was a farm and a farmhouse,” Carol explained. “He uncovered the axe while ploughing a field in the lower end of what is now Vine Hill Drive”.

Believing that the town’s latest treasure should be shared with as many people as possible, the Chichele College Management team contacted the Northamptonshire Council, suggesting that it be considered for A History of Northamptonshire in 100 Objects, an exhibition to be staged at Northampton Museum in September.

“Our application was successful and we are very proud that the axe will be part of the exhibition,” Carol said.

The Higham Ferrers Archaeological Research Society (HiFARS), who meet at Chichele College, were interested in the flint axe, and a member, Professor Sarah Scott, who works at the University of Leicester, suggested it be taken to the university for further research.

And not long afterwards, a busload of interested members of the Tourism Committee, the Chichele College Management Committee and HiFARS, headed off to the university, where the School of Archaeology and Ancient History has an Advanced Microanalysis Laboratory, boasting specialised state-of-the-art equipment.

The equipment- including light microscopes, providing magnifications up to 500 times of an object - enables its world-class, international team of scholars to study the production and use of ancient artefacts and carry out cutting-edge research.

Asked by Carol Fitzgerald if the flint axe was genuine or a fake, Dr Christina Tsoraki, a ground stone and gold expert, said that a lot of things had to be considered and far more investigation was necessary before that could be decided.

Comparative data from different flint stones would have to be gathered. And even if it was not real, it still had a very interesting history, she said.

The axe was made of good quality material and was made by someone who was skilled and had knowledge of different materials.

“It is beautifully made: there has been no use of modern tools in its making,” she said. Carol Fitzgerald added that research was at an interesting stage. “It is all quite exciting, and even if it is a fake, it remains fascinating and will still go into the History of Northamptonshire in 100 Objects exhibition. It will be held for safekeeping at the Archaeological Resource Centre at nearby Chester House, until then”.

As the guest curator of the Higham’s axe display, Carol now awaits the results of the further detailed research before writing the content information for the 100 Objects exhibition.

A copy of the axe will go on display for the first time at Chichele College in June, featuring at an exhibition about The Life of Chichele College being held during Great Big Green Week. It will also form a major part of the Northamptonshire Heritage Forum History Day on 18 October.

February 2025