'I've tried not to let the Staffordshire Hoard change my life'

The owner of the field where the Staffordshire Hoard was discovered has spoken of the effect the find near Hammerwich has had on his life.

After years of research, conservation, cleaning and reconstruction, secrets from the field of gold where the Staffordshire Hoard was found are still being revealed.

For centuries the largest-ever haul of Anglo-Saxon treasures known in Britain lay untouched in farmer Fred Johnson's field until the summer of 2009, when a metal detector struck gold.

More than 3,500 pieces of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver were unearthed and valued at £3.2 million.

Now, Mr Johnson, who's in his 70s, and Staffordshire County Council's principal archaeologist Stephen Dean have met up on the momentous spot on Fred's land to relive the discovery seven years on.

In a rare interview, the farmer spoke of how he woke up to news that archaeologists believed they were unearthing the most important find in modern times. Fred said:

"It's still strange that I lived on the land for so many years and had no idea anything of the sort was buried underneath it.

"I've tried not to let the find change my life too much, but it has allowed me to make some very sensible investments."

Mr Dean said: "The question that everyone asks is how it got there and for me, I still believe it was more than likely a angst hoard which was hidden during times of great strife and never reclaimed."