Watford’s most expensive bowl worth £100,000

An ancient bowl from Watford Museum has attracted international interest after the discovery that it could be worth up to £100,000.

£100,000, for a bowl? Yes, really.

It was found in 1968 during the construction of Watford’s Industrial Estate in the Hollywell area, and was then passed onto Watford museum. It was one of many Bronze Age items including arrows and axe heads.

The bowl has long been a popular item in the museum, but a recent investigation by archeologist Professor Richard Harrison from the University of Bristol has revealed more about its origin.

Mayor Dorothy Thornhill said that ‘the bowl is very special’. She explained ‘ it is exciting. We tend to think of Watford as a product of the Victorian era, but there was clearly a Bronze age settlement here.’

The bowl remains in the condition it was originally found in, so is not in the best physical state. It’s been flown to a museum in Mainz, Germany, for further analysis, but will soon return to its home in Watford.