A RARE Saxon ring is going on display in Berkeley.

The Anglo-Saxon gold ring is to go on display at Berkeley Castle, after it was shown in the BBC2 series Digging For Britain on Thursday.

This is the first time the ring has been seen publicly for nearly 40 years; it was last exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum London in 1972.

It will be on show for one month and has never before been exhibited at the castle.

Historians believe the ring was made during the early years of the ninth century (AD 800-830).

Its central element, the bezel, is shaped like a cross with rounded ends.

Expert Leslie Webster, formerly of the British Museum, said: "This is one of the finest and most impressive Saxon rings I have ever seen. It is in wonderful condition; there are virtually no signs of wear, and it looks as if it has just come from the goldsmith. Gold was rare in England at this period and the workmanship is amazing.

"We have no way of finding out for whom it was made, but whoever that was must have been of great standing and wealth."