The Golden Knight of Mold

By Sarah Griffiths on Feb 24, 09 08:26 AM in Before 1500

In the early nineteenth century, several residents of Mold had reported the appearance of a ghost wearing golden armour on Bryn yr Ellyllon (Goblins' or Fairies' Hill), which was situated on the outskirts of the town.

The apparition became known as the Golden Knight (or Golden Spectre) and one eye-witness was believed to have signed a sworn statement to the local vicar to confirm its existence.

In 1833, the farmer of the land at Goblins' Hill decided to use some of the stone from the hill for road repairs. The workers found a large stone beneath the surface and removed it to discover a Bronze Age burial. The body was in poor condition but it was clothed in a crushed golden cape, together with some bronze strips, amber beads and pottery.

The workmen and onlookers were unaware of the importance of the find and parts of the treasure were removed. Even in its damaged state, the Mold Cape turned out to be one of the most significant Bronze Age gold objects in Europe. It was probably worn by either a priest or local leader for religious ceremonies and is made from beaten gold with rich decoration.

The Mold Cape was purchased by the British Museum in 1936 and was restored to its former glory. Subsequent research confirmed that it dates from between 1900 and 1600 BC. It now takes pride of place in the collections of the British Museum and was displayed at Wrexham Museum as part of a visiting exhibition in 1985.

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