THOUSANDS of objects which could help unlock the stories of rural Winchester residents from up to 2,000 years ago have been acquired by an arts trust.

The archaeological items, ranging from flint tools to brooches, were collected by Jim and Michael McGovern, who have both since died.

Now the artefacts have been taken on by the Hampshire Cultural Trust so that they can be studied and made accessible to the public.

The charitable trust was launched last year, taking over the operation and funding of buildings, assets and collections belonging to Hampshire County and Winchester City Councils.

Comprising flint tools, pottery fragments, coins, buckles, brooches and many other small metal items, the collection is mainly everyday items which have been used, discarded or lost by local people over the centuries.

It includes a medieval buckle pin, a Tudor buckle and a Roman coin. The trust says the collection is of interest because they help to tell the story of the lives of the people who lived in rural communities in the district.

Venues and learning manager for Winchester at the trust, Robin Iles, said: “The team at Hampshire Cultural Trust, working in partnership with colleagues from the Portable Antiquities Scheme in Hampshire, has already begun the major task of identifying, recording and cataloguing the several thousand artefacts in the McGovern collection.

“Once researchers and experts examine the collection in detail we expect it to add significantly to our knowledge of the rural areas east of Winchester.”

Cllr Ernie Jeffs, the city council’s portfolio holder for museums, said the collection is a “good example” of the council’s commitment to enhance its museum collections.

“On this occasion we were fortunate to receive support in acquiring the collection through the Arts Council England/ Victoria and Albert Museum purchase grant fund,” he said.

“This comprehensive collection of artefacts from rural parts of the Winchester district neatly complements the important collection of artefacts from urban sites in Winchester itself, already held within our collections and cared for by Hampshire Cultural Trust.”

Once the items have been catalogued a selection will go on display in Winchester Guildhall in the autumn.